


Lilac Wine

by erenjaegerselbow



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Bartender Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Canonical Character Death, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gang Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Kenny Ackerman Being an Asshole, Kenny is a Dick, Levi is a Tease (Shingeki no Kyojin), M/M, Organized Crime, Piercings, Protective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Sexual Tension, Sexy Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Strangers to Lovers, Tattooed Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Top Levi Ackerman, but he doesn't know how to do romance, hange is hot, levi has trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:34:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28869387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erenjaegerselbow/pseuds/erenjaegerselbow
Summary: Levi Ackerman mixes only the finest of drinks and falls in love with the finest of women.You are one of them.All he wants is to move on from the shit in his past: the violence, the death, the deception, and yet it keeps catching up to him.You become the one person who allows him to come to terms with it while also becoming the one thing he wants to protect.Lilac wine, you feel you're ready for your love.
Relationships: Hange Zoë/Original Female Character(s), Levi/Reader, Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein, Sasha Blouse/Connie Springer
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52





	1. Levi Ackerman likes his drinks stirred, you like yours On The Beach

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is my first long fic and since I wrote Eren already I wanted to give my mans Levi a shot too. (Also I'm SORRY but I'm making Levi 5'5 because I just... cannot look down at him.) Hope you like it, and any kind of feedback is appreciated, whether it's comments or kudos! Thanks for reading :)

Levi Ackerman stood behind a well-shined bar counter, effortlessly mixing a Bloody Mary. 

His ring-clad hands twisted around the shaker, tossing it into the air and catching it behind his back. He wrinkled his nose. _I never cared for this drink,_ he thought. _There are infinitely better options on the menu._

Regardless, he poured the red drink into its perspiring glass, topping it with parsley and a lime wedge cut directly in the middle and balanced nicely on the rim’s edge. The woman he served it to seemed delightfully pleased with both the drink’s look and Levi’s as well, attempting to pay him a flirty ‘thank you’ for a job well done. He, however, was completely uninterested and dodged her advance, opting to take another order instead. This time, a much more respectable order: A stirred, dry Martini. One of Levi’s favorite drinks. _Ah, yes. This is much better._

Someone sat at the end of the bar, unbeknownst to him, drinking in his movements. You got up after a few minutes of lingering staring, aching to move your limbs and dance a little to distract yourself from perturbed thoughts. It _was_ your 21st, after all. Why not have some legal fun? 

You located your best friend, Cheshire, who you had brought with you to celebrate along with a few others, chatting up a tall man, getting awfully cozy with one another. Bad sign. She was bound to leave with this stranger as she tended to do. Once Cheshire saw your wide-eyed stare, she motioned to her phone, typing out a predictable text. 

**_Chesh:_ ** _This guys hot! Kinda wanna fuck. Do u want me to stay or can I go home w him?_

You sighed, knowing fully well that no matter what you told Cheshire, she would end up taking the man home anyway. So, you gave the ‘a-okay’ reluctantly, opting instead to hang out with your friends Rachel and Genie, whom you were only semi-acquainted with. _It’s too bad, really. I wish I had just invited my friend group instead._ Unfortunately, you had already hung out with them on your _actual_ 21st a few days prior, so these high school “friends” would have to do. 

You swayed around, drink in hand, to the loud music at the club while making light conversation with Rachel. You were getting a bit too sober and a bit too bored, so you made your way over to the bar where you had previously been not-so-discreetly ogling the handsome bartender. You plopped down heavily in a bar chair, yearning for any sort of vodka drink to get you drunk enough to block your conflicted thoughts about yourself and your life. You signaled, half-assed, to the bartender, and sure enough, the beautiful man from before was in front of you in seconds. 

“Can I just get a Sex on the Beach? I’m not nearly drunk enough this late in the night.” The man grunted in return, turning to grab his shaker and ingredients. You watched as he skillfully tossed everything together, barely able to follow his quick and precise movements. You didn’t even notice he put the finished drink neatly down in front of you until he loudly tapped the surface of the table.

“Oi kid. Your drink,” he stated matter-of-factly, glaring only slightly in your direction. You flushed, taking in the neat drink and apologizing. 

“Sorry, uh…”

“Levi.”

“Levi, right. Uh. Yeah. I’m a little spacey today. Thank you.” He hummed, gaze lingering on your flushed and made-up face for a moment before resuming his work. You were content with sitting at the bar, taking in your surprisingly delicious Sex on the Beach. You weren't new to drinking, of course, so you knew what you liked and how much you wanted. Following your first drink, you ordered two more, enjoying the heat and sweetness that this particular beverage gave your throat. Each time, Levi was the one to serve you, and you gave him your name at some point between the second and third cocktail, and as much of a hefty tip as you could manage. The attractive bartender mentioned that his shift was ending soon, and you started looking around for your friends. Who were literally nowhere to be found. Lovely. 

It was half-past one and, honestly, you just wanted to go home. You were starting to get a little overwhelmed with being decently intoxicated and slightly anxious, and your frantic looking around for your “friends” attracted some unfortunate attention from a blonde stranger lurking around the bar. 

“Hey, pretty lady. Looking for someone?” the man said, ghosting his hand over the small of your back. You flinched, laughing awkwardly and leaning back in your chair.

“Oh, haha, no. I’m just about to leave.” The man smiled, a little predatory, you thought, and sat next to you, scooting in closer. 

“Why don’t I buy you a drink? Maybe we could get to know each other.” 

Levi was cleaning glasses, ready to end his shift, when he saw the woman he had been serving regularly for the past half hour being hounded by some man. He immediately became slightly guarded when he saw how uncomfortable you looked and how close the man was, knowing exactly what kind of situation this was. Levi was no stranger to creeps and attempted date-rapes at this club, despite it being more on the high-end side. He couldn’t expect Miche to sniff them _all_ out. There had been several times where he had either been asked for help or had Angel Shots ordered to code that someone was in trouble. Miche would always be there to escort women to their cars or fend off weirdos. 

This was a slightly different situation, though, as Levi’s shift was minutes away from finished and his friend was not working that night. The bartender thought it would be best just to deal with this one on his own.

This man was really pushing it, arm around the shoulders, sultry voice inches away from your ear. The smell of alcohol on his breath hit your nose and wouldn’t go away. All you wanted at that moment was to curl up and die and yet you couldn’t do anything because he was a giant and you were slightly worried about what he could do to you if you protested. Levi strode over to the scene, glowering at the burly, blonde man who was harassing you

“Hey. Do you know this girl?” Levi asked icily. “You’re being awfully friendly with her, aren’t you.” 

“Yeah, actually we were just-” “No, no I don’t know this guy. He just approached me. Um, so yeah,” you interrupted, shying away as the man whipped his head towards you. Levi assessed the situation, taking in how the man’s body tensed as he was being figured out. 

“Hm. I see. Sir, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave the premises.” The blonde man was taken aback. He let out a nervous laugh.

“Hey, chill man! I’m just getting friendly with this pretty girl!” By the look on your face, you were clearly not enjoying his company. The bartender leaned forward, placing a threatening hand on the man’s shoulder suddenly. He squeezed. Tight.

“My shift is ending, _sir._ So don’t make me work overtime. Get. Out,” Levi said through gritted teeth. The man looked like he was going to wet himself. For a short man, Levi sure was intimidating as all hell, arms covered in sleeves of tattoos and studded with a multitude of piercings. The blonde man quickly rose and stumbled out of the club, pale as a ghost. The bartender turned to you still sitting rigidly on the chair, offering a hand so you could compose yourself. You immediately breathed a sigh of relief, taking his calloused hand and letting him pull you off the seat. You were visibly shaking. 

“Thank you. Really. I’m just… It’s not a good night, haha…” You swallowed thickly, and Levi’s gaze followed your shaking hands up to your pale face. Concern flashed through his pupils, as he recognized the early signs of an anxiety attack. 

“Hey, it’s fine. People like that are fucking assholes. You need help getting home?” he asked, maneuvering his hand that was resting in yours to your back, guiding you to the exit of the club. You nodded hesitantly, feeling comforted by the strong presence of the man beside you. You were finally able to take a good look at him now, in the glowing moonlight outside of the crowded venue. 

He was kind of immaculate. Pristine. Very put-together in a grunge-y sort of way. He wasn’t tall, standing a few inches above you, clad in a tucked, striped dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and pressed back pants without a speck of lint on them. He had a neat undercut, slightly slicked back with sweat and gel, it seemed. 

And, _oh,_ the _piercings._

He had many; you could count five on one ear alone, along with an eyebrow bar, a lip ring, and a nose stud. And from what you caught glimpses of during the night, a tongue piercing was present, as well. You stared shamelessly at his side profile as he made a call, taking in his sculpted and hardened features. He looked so youthful yet mature. You wondered how old he was. Actually, you wanted to know more about him. 

“(Y/N). I have a ride for you.” Levi suddenly interrupted your incessant staring, motioning behind him. He totally noticed you were staring. He was used to it. It felt nice, regardless. 

A woman jogged up to the two of you, smiling brightly. She was tall and attractive, sporting a similar outfit to Levi’s except with a blazer hanging off of her shoulders. 

“Hiya! I’m Hange Zoe. Call me Hange. I’m Levi’s friend-” “Coworker.” “- _friend_ and coworker. I’m done for the night so I can give you a lift home since Levi’s gotta do his cleaning and whatnot. Nice to meet you, (Y/N)!” And with that, Hange pulled you into a hug, surprising you. The shorter man sighed, seemingly used to Hange’s erratic behavior. Once released, you turned towards Levi, flashing him a warm smile. 

“Thanks so much, again, for saving my ass back there, Levi. I really owe you one. I’ll see you around?” He nodded curtly, patting you on the shoulder gently.

“It’s really nothing. And yeah, see you. Come around whenever. Get home safe,” he remarked, turning to go back inside. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hange’s car was beyond cluttered.

How this woman was even able to sit peacefully with the number of papers littering the backseat along with countless empty and half-full bottles of God knows what was a mystery to you. You hesitantly took a seat, cringing at the mound of random shit you were currently stepping on. You most definitely appreciated the ride, though, so you didn’t mention anything to her. She started the engine, Florence and the Machine immediately coming through the speakers. You were pleasantly surprised, and after giving Hange your address, she started in the direction of your apartment with light conversation.

“I really hope it’s no trouble to drive me-” “No trouble at all! Always happy to help pretty girls.” Hange winked, brushing off the incident and complimenting you instead. You were flattered. Hange was certainly attractive, with sharp cheekbones and a Grecian-looking nose placed nicely on her chiseled face. If you weren't already enamored with Levi’s tatted arms and enormously captivating confidence you probably wouldn’t be able to take your eyes off of her. Curse bisexuality. 

You got some small talk out of the way, asking Hange about her job and she asked about your second semester. You learned that she had been a bartender ever since she turned 20, (she was now 25) working at Club Paradis since her college friend Erwin Smith was co-manager at the time and offered her the job. She had actually begun studying as a biochem major at school but soon discovered her talent for mixing drinks as well. She finished out her years at university with a Bachelor’s in Science and decided to pursue bartending for the time being because-- who knew?-- being adept at chemistry came in handy when handling alcohol.

You told her a little about you in the process, mentioning that you were a fine art/art history major hoping to be a professor. You explained how you made money through commissions and Sunday art classes for younger kids, along with your regular summer job which brought in the most bank. You were kind of in a weird spot in your life, going through a slight gender crisis and working through tough portfolio assignments that turned out great at the expense of your crippling anxiety. You were in your junior year and in desperate need of a sculpture model, to which Hange jokingly presented Levi and his “ripped ass bod.” And that is how you ended up on the topic of him. 

“So, does Levi do that often? Throw creeps out?” you asked, genuinely curious. Hange nodded.

“Oh, yeah! If you hadn’t noticed, he’s kind of scary. I myself have had my fair share of encounters like that, but nobody freaks people out more than ol’ shortie does. Most of the time, he escorts girls to our resident bouncer, Miche, who helps them get an Uber or something. We’re a pretty strong team,” she explained. You took in her information in stride. 

“How old is the guy, anyway?” Hange suddenly turned down the music, glancing at you. 

“He’s 27. Looks about 20, though. Doesn’t he?” You nodded. “Now I have a question. What brought you to our fine establishment this evening, (Y/N)?” she inquired. 

“Pretty simple, really. It was my 21st the other day and I already spent it with my close friends, but I thought it would be nice to see some people from high school again so we went clubbing.” You sighed exasperatedly. “Clearly, they didn’t want to see me all that much.” You sulked in the seat, closing your eyes in slight anger at those so-called “friends.” _Ah well. I got to meet Hange, who’s cool._

“Well, your high school friends suck. But I’m glad I got to meet you! And Levi doesn’t tend to be this nice to strangers, so clearly he saw something interesting in you as well.” Hange drummed her fingers against the steering wheel, once again granting you a dazzling grin. You were still quite curious about the male bartender, though, so you continued to pry her with questions.

“Say, Hange, how did you get to meet Levi?” you inquired, as it was a perfectly normal question to ask. And yet, the woman driving stiffened ever so slightly, gripping the wheel a little tighter. 

“Hmm, well… Erwin is my dear friend, and he took over as full manager once his co-manager Dot Pixis pursued another job. He-- how do I put this-- took him in a few years ago when Levi was in a little bit of, um, _financial_ trouble. I guess that’s the short story of it all. But it’s not my business to tell any more,” Hange said, relaxing once again. _Huh,_ you thought. _Some weird trauma, I guess._ You hummed, and, although slightly unsatisfied with the semi-cryptic response, decided to maybe try and befriend Levi yourself. You were happy to let Hange continue talking.

“Levi’s an interesting character. He isn’t really close with anyone except for me, Erwin, and Miche. He’s closed off, yeah, but he has his reasons, y’know? Everyone’s got their demons. But you should come and hang around the club again, (Y/N)! I’m sure Erwin and Miche would love to meet you, and maybe it would be nice for Levi to branch out a little. Whaddya say?” You perked up at her request, entertaining the idea of becoming a little closer to this Brady Bunch. You smiled happily at the taller woman. 

“For sure! I’ll give you my number when we get to the apartment and we can talk some more.” And perfect timing it was, as Hange pulled up near the curb next to your building, cutting the engine. She turned to you, bouncing in her seat and graciously handing you her phone. After you typed in your number and she sent you a text to confirm, you parted ways, thanking her for the ride. At this point, it was already past 2 am and you were exhausted, nearly collapsing on your bed when you walked into your room, suddenly remembering dear Cheshire’s absence due to male seduction. 

You knew for sure that you would be frequenting Club Paradis from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sidenote: even though this is a nightclub and they usually close at 4 am, in this universe clubs will be closing at 2.


	2. Whiskey Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Levi content >:)) Tattooed Levi headcanons are just >>> and you're gonna learn more about his tattoos and what they mean soon enough!

One thing you hate about tired-you is that you  _ never  _ remember to close the goddamn curtains. 

You were painfully reminded of that fact the morning after your rendezvous at the club, being blinded by lazy Sunday morning light. Your eyes were rimmed with black, forgotten eyeliner, and your dress was wrinkled halfway up your stomach. You groaned.  _ Guess I better wash up.  _

But before you could even stand, you received a loud pinging text from your phone, startling you out of your wits. 

“Who the hell is texting me at 8 in the morning?!” you grumbled to yourself, picking up the device. It was an unknown number. 

**Unknown:** _ Yo! Have any plans this Thursday night? U can come by before our shift and meet the rest of our lil gang _

You furrowed your brow in confusion, wondering why some stranger would want to know your schedule, before remembering the events of the night before, including your long exchange with Hange, who the number must be. You hummed in recollection, changing her contact name and texting back in fervor.

**Y/N:** _ Hi! Yeah, I think I’m free. I’ll drop by the club to hang. Mayb I’ll bring some1. _

Hange sent a thumbs-up emoji in response and you shut off the phone, opting to go back to sleep instead of actually rising early. That is, you  _ wanted  _ to go back to sleep, but as soon as your head hit the pillow a loud knock hit your door, causing a groan to rip from your throat. Cheshire entered gracefully, sporting obviously someone else’s clothing and a large, sly grin. 

“G’morning sweetheart,” she mused, smirking down at your defeated form on the bed. “I had a fantastically average night. I  _ do  _ wanna hear about yours, though, and the hottie bartender you were chatting up.” You grimaced, sitting up. 

“When’d you get back, Chesh?”

“Just now. He lived pretty close. Let’s eat some breakfast.” She dragged you from your spot with gusto, eager for some of your famous (Y/N)-style eggs. You made them, and after Cheshire practically inhaled her omelet, you told her the story of your night, making sure not to miss the details about the creep, how awful your high school friends were for leaving you, Levi’s attractive intensity, and Hange’s antics. Once you finished the story, you looked over at your roommate and best friend who was practically on the edge of her chair and about to topple over. She always had been a sucker for some good drama, -- that, and hot people who were also major douchebags--  _ especially  _ when it came to your usually uninspiring life experiences.

“Oh my god. Oh my GOD! This guy Levi totally saved your ass! Ooh, this is juicy stuff. You  _ so  _ have to talk to him again,” she squealed, placing both hands firmly on your knees. You half smiled at her, plucking her persistent fingers off. 

“Don’t worry, I will. Hange invited me back to the club this Thursday so I can meet some of the other people she’s friends with, including Levi.” You noticed her gleaming eyes and you knew that look all too well. “You can come with if you wa-” “YAY! I’m excited. And honestly, this Hange girl sounds kinda rad. Should I try to tap that?” You smirked, snickering at her blatant disregard for nice, committed relationships in favor of a quick fuck.

“Sure thing, Chesh. You guys are actually pretty similar, now that I think about it. I bet you would have a fun time with her. I’ll put in a good word if Hange’s interested in women.” She clapped you on the back, sending you a closed-eyed smile before retreating into the bathroom. 

Cheshire was pan, and you and she had hooked up twice before, as freshmen. It didn’t amount to much, (although the hookups  _ were  _ pretty great) and the two of you decided to just stay platonic. Your pretty excellent gaydar was clueing you in that Hange could be into women, though, so you assumed Chesh would be in good fortunes soon enough. You decided to text her.

**Y/N:** _ Hey Hange, I’m gonna bring my friend Cheshire w me on Thurs. Also if ur into girls, she’s real cool and super pretty and definitely dtf if u are! _

You hoped you weren’t overstepping boundaries here, but the woman seemed to be kind of an open book and up for adventure, so why not go out on a limb with your assumptions? Hange responded surprisingly quickly with validation, easing your worries.

**Hange:** _ OOOO!! Yes! I’m bi and totally dtf w pretty people!!! Bring her to meeeee >:}}}}  _

**Hange:** _ Also catch us at 6:30 bc thats an hour before our shift starts and we gotta set up anywaysss _

**Y/N:** _ Bet! See u then! <3 _

You sighed in content, glad to play matchmaker for your friends again, especially when it was Cheshire. While basking in your early morning glow, you realized that it was, in fact, Sunday, and you had a class of middle schoolers to teach some art to in two hours, so you went about your regular morning routine, anticipation for an actually decent night out filling you pleasantly. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Suddenly, it was Thursday. 

Time flies when you’re drowning in busloads of work, huh?

The whole week had been stressing you out, what with your classes being draining and that one stupidly long art history paper due within the week. Not to mention the ever-present voice in your head telling you that you should just shave your head and stop worrying over whether you wanted to look masculine or feminine that day. You felt a constricting presence, a strain in your chest squeezing tighter every morning, praying for a release of some sort. 

How convenient that Thursdays were your friend group’s designated “Fried Chicken Dinner” days at your collective favorite dining establishment: Reiss’s Chicken Shack. You were going to go there after you visited the club to meet up for your usual 8 pm dinner run. This had been a tradition ever since you guys went once in your freshman year for Jean’s birthday and then decided to keep coming back because,  _ damn,  _ that chicken was spectacular. 

It was a rather chilly March evening, so an oversized hoodie was what you opted with wearing, leering at your roommate’s tasteless bodycon dress which, while flattering, would leave her freezing. The drive was pleasant, the sky turning from blue to vermillion and then to a dark plum, finally darkening to black as the 20-minute drive downtown came to its end, along with the Mac Miller song that had been playing softly over the radio. Cheshire parked the car in the lot, getting out and stretching her lanky arms.

“Let’s head in. Shall we, babe?” she asked, looping an arm through yours. You nodded, falling into step beside her. As you approached the door, it was conveniently opened by none other than Hange herself, immediately brightening once she spotted the two of you.

“(Y/N)!” she exclaimed. She turned, facing Cheshire. “Pretty friend! Glad you guys could drop by. The other guys are just having a drink inside. Come, come! I’ll fix you up something nice.”

The club was, of course, deserted, save for three men at the bar counter and a DJ setting up in the back. It had a completely different feel to when you were there last, mellow jazz music playing on a personal speaker in contrast to the booming bass that usually overpowered your ears. It was nice. You liked this more. 

Levi Ackerman was re-shining the counter for the umpteenth time, regardless of the fact that it would get equally as sticky and disgusting as it does every other night before it even hits midnight. He was swift with his movements, engrossed in his work yet completely aware of his surroundings as well. That’s what made him such a good bartender. His innate ability to multitask. 

He heard the door open heavily, and was followed by Hange’s irritating voice booming through the club with a resounding: “I brought bitches!” He continued to clean but looked up, spotting two girls walking in along with his coworker. One of them was tall, blonde, and chatting eagerly with Hange, while the other was you. The girl he helped last weekend. You made eye contact with him briefly and graced him with a taught smile, to which he raised his eyebrows and tipped his head politely.  The three of you went up to the bar counter, settling in on the chairs across from Levi and who you presumed to be Erwin and Miche. 

“Erwin and Miche, this is (Y/N) and Cheshire. (Y/N), Cheshire,” she gestured to the men, “Erwin, Miche. Now that that’s out of the way… drinks!” Hange announced gallantly, grabbing, much to Levi’s chagrin, two short glasses that he had just placed in a cabinet. He scowled but said nothing of it. 

“Oh, and Cheshire, that’s Levi. He’s grouchy today so if he starts bitching don’t take it personally,” Hange jeered, placing a hand on Levi’s shoulder which he quickly swatted off.

“Keep your hands to yourself, shitty glasses. And stop pestering me.” You laughed, catching the way the woman rolled her eyes playfully, starting on whatever drink she would be making. Cheshire had already taken a spot beside her, engrossed in some conversation about God-knows-what. You instead took interest in the other three, extending a hand for the two taller men to shake. 

“Hello! I’m (Y/N) as Hange said. Sorry to barge in on you guys before you start work, but it’s nice to meet you,” you said. Erwin had an air of authority to him that left you feeling slightly intimidated, but his warm smile and eyes that accompanied it eased you up. Miche was pretty daunting as well, and weirdly enough, he sniffed you when you shook his hand. 

“Nice to meet you too! Also, it’s totally fine. We don’t really have much to do while we set up anyway. And don’t mind Miche, he has this habit of smelling people when he meets them. It’s his weird way of figuring people out,” Erwin replied, looking pointedly at his friend. You suddenly noticed Levi gravitating towards your side of the table, still focused on his bar counter’s shine. You decided to leave him be for now, seeing as he seemed to be in his own world (little did you know he was hanging onto every word subconsciously.)

“This club is awesome, Erwin. Hange mentioned you’re the manager?” He nodded, pouring himself a beer on tap as Hange slid a drink over to you, not taking her eyes off of your best friend as she did so. You took a sip, noticing a pleasantly fruity tang to it. Hange got your taste just right. 

“Yes, I am. I don’t know if she told you, but I used to be co-manager along with my old mentor Pixis. I used to go to school for business, and he taught me everything I needed to know, really. Once I graduated, he took me under his wing here, and we built a pretty successful night scene here over the past few years. He did decide to take his business elsewhere, though, so I took over for him.” You listened intently, nodding along with what Erwin had to say. 

“Miche, Hange, and I are all university friends. This club practically runs on our prior friendships which makes us such a great team.” He paused, glancing at the bartender now taking a break from his cleaning and holding a glass of what looked to be whiskey. “I hired Levi four years ago because of his… capabilities. He’s been an excellent addition to our group, and he’s grown to be one of my most trusted friends.” You smiled, finishing up your drink. There was something weird about how Hange and Erwin’s information on how Levi got here didn’t quite match up, but Hange  _ did  _ say it wasn’t her place to disclose any personal information, so you denied the thoughts in your head telling you to ask. 

“That’s great that you have such a solid system. Compliments to you on how well run this place is. I’ve never been into clubbing much but seeing this place and its interior when it’s empty is really fascinating. I  _ would  _ say the walls need some murals, though,” you joked, the little devil in you partly noting that getting on Erwin’s good graces would mean possible commission work in the future. 

“Murals, you say? Hmm,” he tapped his chin, “now that I look closer, you’re right. The walls are pretty bare. Maybe I’ll consider it. You know a thing or two about art?” You and Erwin talked for a little while longer, mostly about art and more about the club scene. Miche occasionally cut in but stayed quiet for the most part. At some point, Hange and Cheshire joined in, after exchanging numbers and flirting with each other. Levi was silent, save for some head nods or shakes in response to some things the group talked about. Your eyes kept slipping to him, though, and you were itching to talk to him one-on-one. What was so fascinating about him, you didn’t know. But you wanted to.

Erwin got a phone call sometime later, excusing himself to go take it after he and you exchanged numbers. Miche followed, leaving the rest of you at the bar counter. You were fully planning on continuing the conversation, but one look at Cheshire’s pleading eyes and the arm that was encircling her waist by none other than Hange and you knew that it would be you and Levi for the rest of the time. They left to a more secluded part of the club to make out or whatever they planned on doing, so you were left staring at the back of Levi’s head as he stacked glasses. 

“Uh, yo,” you announced awkwardly, realizing that you were not drunk this time around and his ridiculous intimidation was hitting you like a bus. He turned, facing you with a bored-like expression. 

“‘S going on.” You shifted in your seat, keenly aware of the fact that you had no idea what to even start the conversation with. You were enormously thankful, though, when he started talking instead.

“Do you really order Sex on the Beach’s at bars? Those drinks are unbearable.”

Okay. So maybe this wasn’t really the conversation starter you were looking for. 

“Uh, right. I like fruity drinks more than anything, and the first one you made was so delicious that I wanted more. What would you recommend instead?” He pursed his lips thoughtfully.

“I do hate sweet cocktails, but if anything I would go with a Blueberry Mojito. Personally, though, I prefer gin and whiskey drinks over anything. I like a dryer, darker taste.” You pondered his suggestion, making an executive decision to get the mojito the next time you decided to frequent the club. You were silent for a moment, listening to the jazz on the speaker as Levi finished his whiskey. 

Levi suddenly interrupted you as you spaced out. “Do you mind if I play some Nina Simone?” You blinked, snapping back into reality, and nodded. You were quite fond of Nina Simone. You listened to her while you sculpted. 

He made the switch on his phone, and immediately her soulful voice projecting “Lilac Wine” overtook the club. 

“Oh, I love this song! I didn’t know you liked jazz so much, Levi,” you said. He hopped up and took a seat on the countertop.

“Well, I do. Dunno why it’s so surprising to you. What do you think I like? Death metal?” he sneered, a mocking glint in his eyes. You blushed.  _ Caught red-handed. _

“I don’t think you want me to answer that. I guess the whole ‘tattoos and piercings’ thing threw me off a little bit.” He rolled his eyes.

“Figures. Didn’t your first-grade teacher ever tell you not to judge a book by its cover? Can’t expect much from a college student wearing a Rilakkuma sweater.” You recoiled, taken aback.  _ The nerve of this guy! How dare he insult my sweater! _

“Hey! That’s not fair! I’m allowed to like cute things even if I’m twenty-one!” you accused, crossing your arms over your chest. He leaned back, clearly amused at your defensiveness. 

“I’m just saying. If you want me to take you seriously maybe dress in something more age-appropriate.” You glowered in silence, knowing he was just trying to get a rise out of you but still pissed. That is, you  _ were  _ glowering until he shifted in his spot, exposing the top part of his chest under his slightly unbuttoned dress shirt. There was a strange mark looking like some sort of pinkish scar peeking out from underneath, sitting between his collarbones and right above his chest. 

“Hey, Levi.” “Hm?” “What’s that scar there?” you questioned as you pointed at the mark. He followed your finger, running his hand softly over the spot. His eyes darkened, but his expression stayed neutral.

“Oh. This is a tattoo I got covered.” You expected him to continue, maybe say what it was, but he didn’t. You asked anyway.

“What was it? Did you regret it or something?” He looked a little peeved at your nosiness but answered (albeit vaguely) regardless. 

“Tch. Yeah, I regretted it. It was just a dumb thing I got when I was 16. Shouldn’t have done it,” he said quietly, staring straight at you. He looked detached, almost like he was going through some internal battle in his head. What was with this guy? He was so mysterious. And not that you were particularly good at reading people, but Levi was like a brick wall. The only way you could notice a shift in attitude from him was by his eyes and eyebrows. 

“Hmph. I see.” You paused, glancing at his face from under your lashes. Unreadable. Again. “Did it hurt?” 

“Did what hurt, brat?” You furrowed your brow.  _ Did he just call me a brat? _

“Uh, the tattoos. Piercings. Whatever you have going on,” you asked. You kind of felt bad for asking so many questions about him, even though he answered every one. 

“Some of them, yeah.” He leaned forward, flashing you his wrists and inner arms. They were encircled with dark black lines, three around his right wrist and two on his left. There were also numbers written on the inner elbows. 

“These were some of the more recent ones I got, but also some of the more painful.” He turned around, pointing to the back of his neck. A group of roses was placed there.

“This one and the ones I have over my ribs and ankles were the most painful. I have a decently high pain tolerance, though, so it wasn’t too bad. I have a lot more basically everywhere on my body.” You nodded, slack-jawed and in awe of the beauty of his tattoos. They were so fascinating, yet these were just a portion of the ones that he had. Now that you knew he had many more under his layers of clothing all you wanted was to examine every single one in detail. You snapped out of your thoughts, determined to  _ not  _ imagine Levi without his clothes on. 

“They’re awesome, Levi. I’ve always wanted to get a tattoo. Specifically, design one for myself. Maybe you could give me some input once I figure it out.” He jumped off the counter, grabbing his rag and cleaning spray to wipe the spot he had just been sitting on.

“Sure, as long as you don’t get something stupid like that fucking bear on your sweater.” You made a noise of frustration, slapping his shoulder.

“Hey! Shut up about that already.” He snorted, a delightfully surprising noise coming from his usually placid mouth. Just then, Cheshire and Hange stepped out of the back room. With hair disheveled and lips swollen, it was clear that they had some fun. Your best friend waltzed up to you, mentioning that it was 7:30 already and you had people to meet for chicken in 30 minutes. She threw Hange a flirty wink and blew a kiss, walking out of the club with a confident strut. Hange ran up to you before you left, wrapping you in a tight hug and whispering a quick ‘thank you’ in your ear. You laughed, patting her back before turning your attention back to the other bartender you had been talking to. 

“Is it cool if I got your number? I feel like it’s only fitting since I have everyone else’s,” you asked him. Which is funny. Because that was definitely not the only reason you wanted his number.

“‘S fine. If you try to send me memes, though, I  _ will  _ block your ass. So tread wisely.” You snickered, handing him your phone which he typed his number into. 

“Can’t promise anything. Well then, have a nice night guys! I have a chicken dinner to get to, but I’ll be back here sometime soon!” you exclaimed, turning to walk out the door. Levi watched you as you left, eyes once again following you for a second too long as you pushed the door open. He sighed in content. He definitely felt refreshed. This girl was like a breath of fresh air, someone to tease and talk to normally without them knowing anything about his stupidly complicated life. 

Thinking about a girl, huh?

Well.

Time for another glass of whiskey.


	3. Chicken Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title is so ass I'm sorry, but here's some drama!! More Levi and Y/N interactions to come in the next few chapters, and then we'll get into the MEAT of the plot. Hope you're enjoying it so far!

The restaurant was pretty crowded for a Thursday, but you and Cheshire managed to scope out your friend group in their usual spot like every week. You greeted Historia Reiss at the door-- she was the hostess and her dad was the manager-- and had polite conversation while you walked to your table. Everyone was there already (as per usual) and greeted the two of you loudly with your arrival.

Eren sat in between Mikasa and Armin, his two best friends, on the opposite side of the booth as Jean and Marco, who were being disgustingly cute and sharing a milkshake. Sasha and Connie sat in the chairs on the outside, scarfing down a large order of shared fries. They were never ones to wait to order. You sat next to Armin and Cheshire next to Marco, quickly joining whatever conversation the group was having. This time, it was Eren and Jean complaining about Professor Shadis and his “stupid fucking grading system.” 

“I swear! My project was so good!” Eren exclaimed animatedly, raising his hands and voice. Mikasa lowered his wrists, throwing him a glare for being too loud in public. “Sorry. But seriously! How the hell does Shadis expect us to suddenly be good at design?” You rolled your eyes.

“Maybe because you’ve been doing it for two and a half years?” Eren sent you a hurt look.

“Rude.” 

The lot of you continued to converse, eventually ordering your usual chicken orders and beer for the night. It was pleasant; a fantastic stress relief. It also felt good knowing you had a certain someone’s phone number lying around in your contacts. All was well, and at some point, you stood up to go use the bathroom. Excusing yourself, you made your way over to the back of the restaurant. As you were about to open the door, you noticed the restaurant’s owner, Rod Reiss, tip-toeing his way out the back door. You thought it a little bit strange that he peered over his shoulder, checking around him. Why did he feel the need to quietly exit his own restaurant?

He was wearing a thick black coat, holding his arm next to his chest. It was weird, you had to admit. You had only seen the man a number of times, each one an incredibly brief and hasty interaction. The man had always struck you as odd, and maybe if you caught a glimpse at what he was doing outside you would understand why. The nosy side of you gave in to your urges, shuffling towards the crack in the door after he had made his way out.

Reiss stood far away from the door, near some bushes at the back of the staff lot. He was talking to another man, and you could tell by their body language and stiff stances that it was a tense conversation. You were incredibly curious as to what they were talking about but you couldn’t hear from that far away. 

Just as you were about to open the door a smidge, you saw something you definitely shouldn’t have.

Reiss whipped out a cloth, white and small, and covered the mouth of the other man. He barely had any time to react before he folded. Reiss caught him silently, and you looked away before you caught sight of anything else.

What. The. Fuck.

You turned sharply and sprinted into the bathroom, locking the door behind you. You slid down to the floor, taking in a shaky gasp of air. 

_What the hell did I just witness? Was that chloroform? Did he just… Chloroform someone? Or am I just seeing things?_

You wiped your tingling hands down your face, staring wide-eyed at the wall in front of you. You had no idea how to process what you just witnessed.

You sat, waiting, unable to move your limbs enough for a little bit to even check if Reiss was around. You most definitely did not need him to know what you saw. Was what you saw even what you _thought_ you saw? You didn’t know what to do with this information.

After a good five minutes of breathless contemplation, you stood up warily, unlocking the door and peering outside. No sign of anyone but the cooks and waiters. Fine. You decided to go back to the group before they all became worried about you, and so you did. Sitting down and plastering on a fake, albeit wobbly, smile, you hoped to immerse yourself back in the conversation to forget about the past events. Unfortunately, your anxiety did not let up, and you found yourself worrying if he saw you and was going to come after you next. _Y/N, you’ll be fine._

“(Y/N)!” You flinched, startled at the call of your name. Looking up, you saw the eyes of all of your friends on you, Marco’s mouth open evidence that he said your name. 

“I’ve said your name like 5 times already. Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost,” Marco inquired. You snapped out of your head, putting a smile on your face again. _Best not mention this to this big of a group right now. I’ll tell Cheshire later._

“I’m fine. Just took a massive shi-” “Okay! That’s enough of that!” Marco blurted, eyes wide. Connie and Sasha burst out laughing, and soon, you did as well. You ordered another beer, hoping to dull down the anxiety of the past 15 minutes. It helped a little, and soon you found yourself reasonably buzzed, feeling warm and full and ignorant.

You left the Chicken Shack with Cheshire at 10, bidding your friend group goodbye and you parted ways. The car ride back was full of the two of you laughing over Connie’s unfortunate ketchup spillage-- in which he miraculously dumped the entire contents of the bottle onto his plate-- and Armin’s extreme embarrassment. You slowly sobered up as you neared the apartment, but not fast enough for you to stop yourself from flinging yourself on your bed when you got home and sending Levi Ackerman a text saying “Hi it’s me Y/N whats up hot stuff.”

And three hours later, after a shower and a long nap, now-sober you was appalled to see that he answered, and were slowly becoming less numb to your weird situation.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Levi was sweating. For some reason, today’s shift, even though it was a Thursday, had been very demanding. It was now 2:33 AM and he was finished cleaning his station, bar empty save for the band packing up and the sound of the night janitor unlocking the back door. It seems everyone else left in a hurry since he couldn’t hear the laugh of the dancers or the rustle of pots and pans in the kitchen. He heaved a sigh. Hange always left immediately after closing, so he cleaned for 30 minutes on his own. Which wasn’t horrible, considering he liked cleaning, but sometimes he just wanted to get the hell out.

Levi grabbed his jacket laying on a table in the kitchen, pulling it on and exiting into the staff lot. He was met with frigid air, a typical early morning in March. His steely blue eyes fixed themselves on the road in front of him, eager to get home as quickly as possible considering the coldness of the night. His apartment was a brief, 5-minute walk from the club, and walking was much more convenient for him than driving for two minutes. 

As he began his short trek, he became hyper-aware of his surroundings, as per usual. You never know who could be lurking in the shadows in the deep hours of the night, and although Levi was incredibly gifted at self-defense, he was still wary considering the time and his understanding of messed-up drunkards. 

His hyper-awareness picked up on the disconcerting noise of sirens wailing faintly in the background, and the barely-there tang of blood fell upon his nose. Something felt… off. He couldn’t quite place it. He made sure to keep his eyes keen and ears sharp as he passed alleyways, glancing sideways into them to make sure that his nagging feeling wouldn’t go ahead and jump out at him from the darkness. His expression remained neutral, yet he picked up his pace significantly when he noticed a few shady figures mulling around an empty playground. If they were part of a gang, he most certainly didn’t want to get tangled up in anything right now. 

At last, Levi sought the comfort of his cushy apartment building, greeted the doorman, Hannes, and took the elevator up. He threw off his clothes, took a shower, and climbed into bed, preparing himself for restless sleep once again. He decided to check his phone, noticing a usual message from Hange telling him to get home safe with another one of those stupid Bitmoji things that she sent him every day. Something that _wasn’t_ usual, however, was a text message from an unknown number. Well, no longer unknown considering the fact that you stated your name in the text, alongside calling him ‘hot stuff.’ 

Levi was a little taken aback, but mostly incredibly amused. This couldn’t have been sent sober, he suspected, and the thought made him want to text back in order to tease you some more. He imagined that you were probably asleep, but he decided that since he saw it already, might as well answer.

 **Levi:** _Nice to know you think I’m “hot stuff”._

Short and sweet. To the point. Enough to make you flustered, he thought. He smirked to himself, preparing to put his phone down and try to sleep when it suddenly dinged. _Weird. At this hour?_ To his great surprise, it was a message from you.

 **Y/N:** _Oh my god… pls ignore that. I was drunk. I can’t believe this is the first thing I texted u._

Levi rolled his eyes. Could this girl be _any_ easier to fuck with?

 **Levi:** _That’s too bad. Here I was thinking you thought I was all that._

 **Y/N:** _Shut it short ass._

 **Levi:** _You’re shorter than me. Anyway. Why were you drunk?_

He glanced at the time. It was 3 in the morning. He was a little curious as to why you were awake so late. 

**Y/N:** _I was getting dinner w friends at the chicken place nearby. We always drink a lot when we do_

 **Y/N:** _so i drank like a decent amount of beer_

 **Y/N:** _mostly to forget abt something that happened earlier in the night. Then i got home n showered n passed out but i woke up now for some reason._

 **Y/N:** _so sorry for keeping you up rn but i mean you got home a little while back right?_

Levi couldn’t help but think that you texted like shit, but he texted like a middle-aged businessman so he couldn’t really judge a college student for talking like a college student. 

**Levi:** _Yeah I did. What happened that made you drink oh so much?_

He noticed that it took you a while to type a response, perhaps contemplating whether or not you were going to tell him anything. He would not take offense if you didn’t, not particularly caring too much. 

**Y/N:** _Oh its nothing rlly. Just ran into a weird situation at the restaurant. And yknow the classic “drink to forget” thing i’m sure u understand._

Levi didn’t know that on the other side of the screen you were going through an internal battle over telling him what had actually happened. You decided against it, considering you had just met him and didn’t really want to freak him out. Although you didn’t know if you had the ability to freak him out, considering one glare from him would probably floor you-- or anyone, for that matter. 

**Levi:** _I do. I’m also going to sleep. I have to be awake in a few hours anyway._

He put his phone down before he could get an answer, pulling the covers of his bed neatly over his body and tried to put his insomniac mind to rest.

 **Y/N:** _Ok ok! Why do u have to be up early?_

 **Y/N:** _Levi?_

 **Y/N:** _whoops ur asleep. Goodnight!_

You put your phone down just the same, sitting up in your bed a little to let the cogs turn in your brain. The situation from earlier was strange, but what if what you saw was just a huge misunderstanding on your part? In any case, there wasn’t reasonable enough evidence to stake a claim of him being, God forbid, a _kidnapper,_ so you decided to keep an eye on him but keep the information under wraps until you found out something a bit more solidifying. _If_ you found something. 

You shook off your worries, opting to turn in instead. 

You had an 8 am tomorrow. 


	4. Trouble in Paradise

You opened the door to your shared apartment, immediately graced with the smell of sweat and sex. You wrinkled your nose in disgust, staring at the two women sleeping naked on the couch until they took notice of your entrance. 

Hange woke first, rousing Cheshire from her position on top of the older woman. Your name slipped off of her lips in gusto, sitting up from her previous position.

“Hello to you too, Hange. Please put your tits away.” She saluted you in mockery, sliding a discarded shirt over her head. Chesh gave you a lazy grin, flopping her head back down onto her partner’s lap. This wasn’t a new sight for you, as they had been going out for two weeks now and were weirdly alright with their friend walking in on them completely naked, post-fuck. 

Hange eventually pushed her girlfriend off of her and got fully dressed, making her way over to the counter where you sat, scrolling casually through your phone. Cheshire followed suit soon enough, opting to stand instead. They both pinned you with their stares. 

Cheshire leaned her chin in her open palms on the counter. “Where were you today? Your classes ended hours ago!” You were caught off guard by her question, glancing at your phone to see what time it was. You couldn’t have been gone  _ that  _ long. And yet you were mistaken.

“Jesus, it’s eight already? I guess I lost track of time,” you muttered, turning back to see two pairs of eyes still shining eagerly, awaiting a response. You huffed in annoyance, crossing your arms over your chest. “Erwin and Levi were teaching me how to make cocktails. Guess I was there longer than I thought.” 

Hange’s eyebrows raised dramatically, mouth breaking into a huge grin. “Lee-vii~! Hmm, seems as though you’re seeing that shorty a lot more now, huh?” 

You slapped her arm, face warming a few degrees. “I’ve seen Erwin too…” 

She was right, though. You  _ had  _ been talking to Levi very frequently now. It had been nearly three weeks since the incident at the Chicken Shack-- which now rested vaguely at the back of your mind, the memory resurfacing every Thursday at dinner-- and you texted the bartender practically every day. It was mostly you texting him and complaining about college while he insulted your horrible procrastination, but it was teasing enough that you would call it friendship. 

You had also frequented the club a few times during and before business hours to hang out with their little crew and had become much friendlier with Erwin as well. 

This particular evening had been spent in Erwin’s lavish apartment in the city, and you happily basked in the luxuries given to a famous club owner. You weren’t aware that he was that loaded, but it made sense considering how packed his club happened to be every single weekend, along with the usual celebrity appearances. 

It had been an enjoyable evening, sharing shots and mixing drinks as Levi scolded you for constantly fucking up. Despite the majority of the time you spent with the two being warm and full of liquor, including this one, you still got along just fine without. 

The unfortunate thing was that Levi had stopped opening up about his tattoos and such once the initial shy beginnings were over, leaving the conversation mostly to you and his boss. You yearned to know more about him, but there was never an extended period of time spent with just the two of you, which you longed for. 

Which is how you found yourself garnering some minor feelings for him.

Everything about him drew you in, and as you were the kind of person who loved to try to psychoanalyze people as best you could for the hell of it, it was nearly impossible to do that to Levi. You were  _ frustrated.  _ This aloof quality made him so much more attractive to you. 

As you continued to space out, thinking about your interactions with said bartender over the past few hours, you neglected your friends’ continued piercing gazes. 

“Ey! Babes!” Cheshire waved a hand in front of your face. You blinked, shaking your head sharply. 

“Sorry guys. Spacing out.” “And thinking about Levi, I bet!” You wanted nothing more than to slap that stupid smug grin off of Hange’s face.

“Absolutely not! Shut up!” But your response did nothing to deter the woman, who quickly grabbed you by the shoulders and started pulling you towards the couch. 

“See? You keep getting defensive! That’s a sign of denial of intimate feelings. You may not want to admit it sweetheart, but this guy’s got you wrapped around his tattooed fingers. Now sit. It’s time for some famous Hange Zoe therapy.” You reluctantly followed her, knowing she would force you into this no matter what you said. You absolutely refused to sit on the couch, though, knowing what-- or, more notably,  _ who _ \-- had gone down on it previously. 

Sitting on the loveseat instead, you watched as Hange and Cheshire took a seat on the couch, assuming straight-postured, mock-serious positions. The older woman pulled a notepad out of God-knows-where and flipped to an open page, clearing her throat. They really were treating this like it was the real deal.

“Ok. When did this whole ‘feelings for Levi’ thing start?” 

“I don’t have feelings for him!” “Mhm, sure.” Hange gave you a cross look. 

“I’ve seen the way you look at him. There’s this intensity in your eyes like you’re trying to see deep into his soul or something. It’s scary. I never see you look that serious otherwise.” You rolled your eyes, scooching back in your seat to make yourself comfortable.

“Hange, you’re ridiculous. Sure, he’s attractive-” “A-HA. You admit he’s a _ ttractive _ !” Cheshire put a hand on her girlfriend’s arm.

“Hang, everyone thinks Levi’s attractive. Even me.” You nodded in agreement. Hange whispered a quick ‘fair point’ but continued her interrogation. 

“Ok, fine. But you text him like mad every day! During his shifts I watch his phone blow up with text messages from who can only be you, because I  _ know  _ short-stack has, like, three friends and two of them are at work with him.” 

You shrunk into yourself.  _ That’s a little embarrassing.  _ You were not aware that you plagued his phone that much. “Yeah? So? He’s fun to talk to.” 

Your friends gawked at you. Chesh let out a surprised scoff, shaking her head.

“Fun? Sweet baby, if you think that man is fun to talk to, you’ve got it  _ bad.  _ I think I’d rather have food poisoning than entertain the possibility of a long conversation with Levi Ackerman,” she said. Her girlfriend nodded.

“What she said. Admit it. You like him. There’s nothing that you can say that will deter my thoughts otherwise.” You rolled your eyes, standing up before Hange could continue. 

“No, I don’t. And if that’s all, I’ll be going to my room now. I have homework to do,” you replied pointedly, shutting the door as you walked into your room. You could hear the muffled conversation of your frustrated friends through the closed door as you sat heavily at your desk. Before opening your laptop to begin your essay, you checked your phone.

A text from Levi.

**Levi AckerMANZ:** _ You left your fucking hat dumbass. Remind me to give it to you next time I see you.  _

Your heart warmed; a smile crept onto your face. 

Shit. Hange was right. You were down  _ bad.  _

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days passed, dragging by slowly like molasses as you kept yourself occupied with school and your feelings for Levi that you tried desperately to get rid of. To you, he showed no sign of reciprocation, so it was best if you just pushed them down and forgot about them. This was a hard task, though, considering your frequent interactions. 

It was Thursday, and today was Weekly Chicken Night. Except today was going to be Weekly Chicken Day because, for the first time, you would be introducing Levi to your friend group. 

He and Hange worked Thursday nights so you arranged for the group to grab lunch instead. Hange was coming along to keep your best friend company and to also meet your friend group, as the two were now approaching that stage in their relationship. You were pumped, to say the least, and actually got up early to get dressed decently instead of putting on the trashy pajama clothing you usually wore to your dinners. 

Hange pulled up promptly at two, honking the horn of her chunky Jeep Wrangler so you and your roommate would get out. As Cheshire yelled out the window that you two were coming down, you quickly donned a coat and your shoes, jogging down the stairs to hop into the back seat. The three of you headed off for the twenty-minute drive to the Chicken Shack.

When you arrived, you were surprisingly early. This was new, considering you and Cheshire were always the last ones there thanks to her terrible time management skills. Your heart skipped a beat as you noticed Levi’s car pulling into the lot, easing to a stop beside the jeep. He got out, making his way towards the entrance where the three of you stood, waiting for him. You couldn’t help but look at his outfit: a V-neck black long sleeve resting under a bomber jacket, exposing his intricate neck and collarbone tattoos. You noticed over the weeks that he had a liking towards combat boots, especially those with platforms, so he could give himself some height. He was wearing some today, adding another three inches onto him. You practically swooned at the sight. He was always so effortlessly handsome with his look. 

Hange noticed your ogling, snickering to herself. She leaned down to blow on your ear, snapping you out of your daze. 

“Yo shortie! Nice of you to join us!” she exclaimed. Levi flipped her off, instead directing his attention to you. 

“Did you finish your paper? I’ll read it over for you in case you made any drastic errors,” he said, pushing the door to the restaurant open. 

You nodded, flashing him an easy smile. “Yup! All done. I’ll send it your way tonight.” 

As you embraced the warmth of the Chicken Shack, you were suddenly shocked to find that Historia was not at the hostess booth. Rod Reiss was. 

He didn’t look up from his chart as he wrote something down, greeting your current party of four with a ‘How do you do folks?’ before finally glancing up.

His eyes widened. 

You looked at him, feeling yourself tense up immediately at the way his stare hardened at your group. It was the first time you had seen him since the incident, and now you were thinking that maybe he had seen you. 

Fully prepared to make a mad dash out of the place, you stopped in your tracks as you realized that his eyes were not trained on you but on Levi. Sure, he was an intimidating presence, but something rubbed you the wrong way about the way Reiss’ entire body straightened, staring at Levi a good few seconds longer than would be considered normal. He was only broken out of his trance by Hange stepping in front of her coworker, grinning toothily at Reiss.

“Hi! Yeah, so we have seven more people coming soon. We made a reservation under  _ Cheshire?”  _ The manager of the restaurant quickly lowered his eyes, fumbling with his chart. 

“A-ah, yes. Cheshire. Got it. Uh, follow me, folks.” And that was it. 

As he led the four of you to your usual booth, you glanced back at Levi trailing behind you. He looked unreadable, but you took notice in the way that his jaw had set and his shoulders had squared. He was doing that hyper-awareness thing you had seen him do before, where he became tense and skittish when he felt off about something, such as a sketchy restaurant or a weird situation. He was doing it now, and it freaked you out. He felt the change in the atmosphere too, then. 

Did they know each other? No. Levi didn’t seem wary of Reiss when he first came in. You thought it was just the reaction that the manager had to your friend that set him off. The reaction was certainly strange, especially if they hadn’t met before. 

You sat wordlessly at your usual spot in the booth, watching as Levi took a rigid seat next to you. Hange and Cheshire gave you a once over, both quirking a brow at your unusual silence. Chesh asked if something was wrong. 

“Nope. All good,” you replied shortly, giving them a tight-lipped smile. Once their attention was focused elsewhere, you turned your head towards Levi. He was staring to the side; jaw set, rigid posture. 

You tapped him on the shoulder. “That was weird, right? You noticed the reaction too?” 

He turned your way, nodding and furrowing his brows. “Yeah. I’ve never seen that guy before. He kept staring at me.” He stroked his chin. “Fucking weird.”

You suddenly had the realization that you never told him about what Reiss did three weeks back, and you were starting to mention it to him before your words were interrupted by the loud holler of Connie and Sasha entering the place. 

“Yo yo gang! I see new people!” Connie said, sliding into his usual chair next to Sasha. Hange took a liking to them immediately, captivated by their energy. You decided to tell Levi about Reiss later because as soon as the two rowdy students showed up, the whole rest of your friend group followed suit. Levi seemed a little irritated with the number of people who were present,-- you expected this-- but he tried to remain as passive as possible. 

He leaned into you, nudging your shoulder with his own. “Is this seriously the amount of people you hang out with? I don’t think I’ll be able to handle this.” 

You laughed at him through your nose. “C’mon Levi. Don’t be hostile just this once, ‘kay? I care about these guys.” He rolled his eyes, yet complied with your wishes. 

You took your time introducing your friends to both Hange and Levi, who was a little reluctant to speak to anyone but did so anyway. Eren and Jean seemed a little scared of him-- which amused you terribly-- but the rest of your friends did a good job at accepting his presence quickly. Hange warmed up to everyone fast, asking about all their majors and what the best thing to order from here was. Once your usual waitress and acquaintance, Ymir, took your orders, you all settled into an easy conversation about the two newcomers. Levi was content with sitting back and letting his coworker do the talking while he sipped his water.

“So, Hange, how’s working at a club?” Armin asked politely. The woman seemed ecstatic to talk about her job, quickly responding.

“Oh, it’s great! I’m a people person, so I love talking to everyone who comes by the bar. Club Paradis is pretty big, so we have two bars to accommodate for the size. Levi and I both have our own to work at, and we’re the only bartenders at the place considering we’re probably the best in the biz! Not to toot my own horn or anything.” 

Hange glanced at Levi, who raised a brow at her gleaming eyes. “Shorty hates people. It’s a miracle he hasn’t gotten any serious complaints. But he’s a  _ master  _ at mixing. Fantastic at it. Better than me.” 

The gazes of all your friends shifted to the grumpy man beside you who sat up straighter, now slightly uncomfortable with the attention. Jean leaned his cheek on his hand, moving his arm immediately after as the food was brought to the table. 

“Say, what’s your favorite drink to make? And drink?” The others all nodded, wanting to know Levi’s answer. “I like Black Russians. They’re delicious.”

“Mimosas.”

“Salty Dogs for me! Love ‘em!”

“Whiskey Sours.” “Yeah right, Eren. You think you’re cool for drinking Jack Daniels, you alcoholic.” “I am  _ not  _ an alcoholic, horseface!”

The rest of your friends all chorused their primo drinks, you staying silent with your new favorite-- the Blueberry Mojito that Levi told you to try-- floating in your mind. Levi, unimpressed with the interruption before he even got to say anything, cleared his throat. The rowdy group silenced.

“I’m a personal fan of dry Martinis. I like making shots because they’re easy. When customers ask for fancy cocktails I can’t help but want to choke them.” Your friends stilled, uneasy glances passing through the group. Hange snorted through her nose, obviously immune to her friend’s harsh demeanor. 

“Oh, he’s just joking. Levi loves his job.” Once your group got over the initial shock of the comment, Marco decided to speak. 

“So… how did you become a bartender?” Both Levi and Hange assumed guarded positions, then, looking a little tenser than they had previously. 

“It’s nothing really. The manager saw that I had a talent for fast-paced work and quick thinking and thought I was best suited for this type of work. Nothing special,” the black-haired man said, albeit a little terse. It seemed as though Eren wasn’t quite satisfied and he opened his mouth to press further before Hange signaled Ymir for another round of drinks. Levi looked visibly relieved. You wondered why.

After you all were pleasantly full and exhausted from hours of social interaction, it was time to part ways and leave for the afternoon. You were planning on spending time in the communal studio near your university to work on a large oil painting, so you decided to just get a lift there. Unfortunately for you, Cheshire and Hange had left thirty minutes prior so your best friend wouldn’t be late for her project photoshoot-- as a fashion design major she had a lot of those-- and your usual drivers, which would have been either Armin, Eren or Jean, had already left in order to beat the traffic back to Eren and Armin’s apartment to catch some movie. 

Dejected, you planned to call an Uber until your knight in shining armor (Levi) rescued you from paying twenty extra dollars. 

“Don’t waste your money on an Uber, idiot. I can drive you. Where to?” he asked, strolling up to your side. You glanced up at him, his usual monotone expression pasted on his pierced face. 

“Um, I’m going to the art studio to work on a project. It’s near uni. Could you drop me off there, if it’s no trouble?” He nodded. “Thanks so much, Levi. You’re the best.” You tried to hide your smile behind your fist as you walked behind him to his sleek black Mercedes CLS Coupe-- an attractive car for an attractive man-- and slid into the passenger seat beside him. 

Somehow, you had never been in Levi’s car. You expected it to be nothing less than spotless, and you were very much correct. It was a stark contrast to Hange’s mess, and it satisfied you to be in such a neat space for once. You began the trip back in silence, slightly awkward as it had been a while since you and Levi had been alone together, while Nina Simone played quietly in the background. You stared out the window for a little while before gathering enough courage to finally speak to your crush. 

“I, ah, hope you didn’t find my friend group to be unbearable. I know how much you hate loud people, but…” He huffed out a sarcastic laugh. “Don’t worry. Yes, they were obnoxious. But I’ve definitely met worse. I think you forget that I work at a fucking club, for God’s sake.”

You laughed as well, eased by Levi’s response. The silence returned, this time comfortable, and you chose to observe him while he drove out of the corner of your eye. 

One hand rested on the wheel while the other rested on his thigh, which brought your gaze to focus on his fitted gray jeans. 

“Yo. You good?” Levi asked, causing you to jump slightly. Face flushing, you turned to face the window again. 

“Yeah. Sorry.” 

You expected the quiet to return, but Levi surprised you by stating something you had completely forgotten about. “You started saying something about that manager, Reiss, earlier, but you got cut off. What did you want to say?”

“Right. Well. How do I say this?” You tapped your chin, thinking about your phrasing to make sure you didn’t come off as, God forbid, delusional. “I saw him do something a few weeks back. It was strange. I was going to the bathroom one night when I saw him talking to a guy outside, and he pulled out some white cloth and put it to the guy’s face. I thought it might have been chloroform or something, because what else could it be? Anyway, I thought it was really weird so I hid and didn’t see what Reiss did afterward, so I wasn’t sure if I should have jumped to conclusions or not.”

Levi straightened, eyes narrowing. He gripped his wheel tightly, mouth pulling into a snarl. You weren’t a fan of his reaction.

“Shit. Who the hell is this guy? Everything about him is sketchy.” He looked at you. “Did you tell anyone?” 

You shook your head truthfully. “Nah. Once again, I didn’t want to jump to conclusions or anything because I only saw up until he used the cloth. I didn’t see if the man fell unconscious or anything.” 

Levi sighed, dejected. Clearly, this was not a situation he wanted to be involved in. You felt a little bad for saying anything in the first place, but the way Reiss had reacted to him earlier seemed awfully suspect. 

“Well, I’d advise you not to. Everything feels too weird. I’m going to look him up later and see if I can dig some shit up about this bastard. After I correct your paper, of course.” Your lips turned up at that. He still managed to make your feelings act up even in a (possibly) serious situation. The topic had been dropped with Levi’s promise to take matters into his own hands with an online investigation. And timed well, too, considering the studio was around the next corner. He pulled into the lot, breaking to a halt. 

“Thanks again for driving me, Levi. I owe you one, for real.” He sneered, waving you off. 

“‘S no big deal. I know Shitty Glasses and your friend probably won’t be the most reliable drivers from here on out so if you really need a ride I’ve got you.” Your heart thumped in your throat. God, the possibility of spending more time with just Levi thrilled you, even if it was just a few short minutes in his car. 

As you were about to open the door, Levi grabbed your wrist. He reached into the back to retrieve something.

“Your hat, idiot. You’re lucky I remembered. You never reminded me.” You took your knit hat from his outstretched hand gratefully, gracing him with three more ‘thank you’s.’ You got out, waving to your friend through the window as he raised the volume of Nina Simone. “Lilac Wine” again. Seems as though that was the fan favorite amongst the two of you. 

Her soulful voice filled Levi’s Mercedes as he sped off, leaving you grinning like an idiot on the steps of the studio. You walked in.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rod Reiss stepped into his office, stiff as a board.

His disposable flip phone lay in a compartment hidden between his shelves, which he pushed aside. 

Reaching for the phone, he dialed a number. It rang. Once. Twice. Three times.

_ “Hello?”  _

“This is Rod,” he lowered his voice to a whisper. “The raven is perched.”

Reiss could practically hear the wicked smile on the other end.

_ “Excellent~ It’s about time I stopped by for a visit, hm?” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the drama continues! fjdnkjgndfjgk this chapter was fun to write! The next one will be from Levi's point of view. Who do you think was on the other side of the call?


	5. Trouble in Paradis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaha see what I did there? With the title? I'm so clever guys. Anyways, here's a fluffy chapter for you all because I'm a sucker for hurt/comfort.

It was March 13th. 

A Saturday, but March 13th nonetheless. 

You were reminded of the fact when you woke up in the morning, checking your phone. You had almost forgotten until you saw the text from your mom asking if you were awake and doing alright.

After ignoring her text and pulling yourself deep under your covers, you let yourself grow angry and numb. You wanted to forget about it. Wanted nothing to do with this day. 

You went through the motions of a typical Saturday: getting up, making breakfast, showering, watching anime until lunch, lunch, etcetera. Everything blurred together into one jumbled group of actions as you dragged yourself back to your room at seven after meeting with your mother. You felt worse than ever, flopping onto your bed with a shaky sigh. 

You needed to get out. Drink to forget. 

It was the fourth anniversary of your father’s disappearance. 

Cheshire was aware of this, and you felt the bed dip with her gentle seat. She brushed a hand over your hair, running her fingers through the strands. You sniffled, letting stray tears escape your eyes as your head remained buried in the duvet. 

“Chesh. I need to get out of here. Need to go to the club. Can’t do this right now,” you muttered, voice muffled by the bed. Your roommate and best friend was a little reluctant to let you go clubbing, but she knew you would fall into a depressed state if you didn’t go out and have some fun. She decided that as long as she, Hange, or Levi kept a watchful eye on you, it would be alright. 

“Alright baby. I’ll come with.” She stood from your bed, rummaging through the closet for an outfit for you to wear. “If you feel like you need to go home at any point, let me know. I’ll be happy to ditch and stay with you too if that’s what you end up wanting.” 

Curse Cheshire for being the best person alive. You slowly got up, wiping your runny nose and bleary eyes. You took several deep breaths, vanishing into the bathroom to get yourself cleaned up and ready for a much-needed night out. 

You found yourself dancing wildly to garbage pop being played by the DJ several hours later at Club Paradis, four Blue Kamikaze shots poured by Levi himself in your system making you feel warm and giddy. You felt fantastic. Drunk enough to have that happy tipsiness that you liked to feel, yet not too drunk to the point of tripping over your own feet. You still felt the occasion crawling back into your mind, though, so you went up to Levi’s counter yet again to obtain one more Kamikaze. 

The bar was exceptionally packed tonight, being a Saturday and all, and Levi hardly had time to even look in your direction before he was called to pour another drink. He glanced over as you danced near the counter in the meantime, bumping shoulders with strangers and exchanging flirty looks. He tapped your shoulder when he was finished with a customer, and you whirled around to look at him. Levi stood by you, brow raised. 

“Back for more?” You nodded. “One more shot, ple-ease~” 

Levi was a little hesitant to be giving you more to drink as you were already flushed and stumbling but complied nevertheless. He knew you could hold your alcohol pretty well despite your short stature, so he trusted you to make smart enough decisions. Plus, he knew Cheshire was here to keep an eye on you. He mixed the Kamikaze, tossing the shaker from one hand to the other as effortlessly as he usually did, pouring the blue drink into a shot glass and sliding it across the countertop in your direction. You caught it, bringing it up to your lips and tipping it back with ease. He watched as your throat bobbed, swallowing the shot, and he watched as your nose scrunched at the burn of the vodka. What a sight to behold. He had never seen you look this energized before.

You sent a wink his way, granting him a cheeky grin before vanishing into the swarm of sweaty bodies on the dance floor. He was reluctant to let you go. 

The night bore on and Levi monitored as you got progressively drunker, slamming down more shots as soon as you began sobering up. It was worrying, to say the least. He wondered what had you in this reckless mood. Soon it was near closing and the public began to leave after Hange announced last call. You were among the stragglers, catching your breath and swaying dangerously from side to side. You leaned against Cheshire, whose concern was plastered evidently across her face. She wrapped an arm around your waist, tugging you towards Levi as her girlfriend followed.

“Hey. Levi. What did you feed my girl? She’s really out of it.” Levi, busy cleaning out the soda guns, abandoned his work to instead check up on your sorry state. He pursed his lips, cursing under his breath.

“Shit. I didn’t realize she drank that much. It was so busy tonight that I couldn’t keep track of her drinks.” Cheshire propped you up a bit more, and you giggled, hiccuping a bit as your head dropped to your chest. Hange made her way up to the three of you, sparing you a concerned glance. 

“Uh, shortstack, could you do me a solid here? I drank a little while working and I would rather not send these two back in an Uber this late at night. Could you take them home?” Of course, Levi didn’t want you going home in an Uber either. It was dangerous downtown, especially at two in the morning. As he began to nod, Cheshire stepped in.

“Han. If it’s okay with Levi, I can stay behind with you and help you clean your station if you take his. I can wait for you to sober up a little,” she said, looking between the two bartenders. They exchanged nods of solidarity, and your best friend carefully propped you up, letting Levi wrap his arm around your waist protectively. 

You poked his cheek. “Heya Levi… Takin’ me home? Hmm… Don’ do anything di-irty~”

He scowled, grip tightening around your waist.  _ As if.  _

After Levi safely situated you in his passenger seat with a bag in case you threw up-- God forbid-- and forced you to drink some water, he climbed into the driver’s seat and sat parked in the lot for a few minutes, thinking. He concentrated on his thoughts while you dozed off next to him, the strong scent of alcohol rolling off of your body stifling him. 

His apartment was closer. A good deal closer, since it was just a few minutes' drive away compared to your near half-hour trip that was inputted into his phone GPS. He finally decided it would just be smarter to let you sleep at his place for the night so he could keep an eye on your condition. Taking the couch for one night wasn’t too terrible.

The drive was quick, as expected, and Levi woke you from your very short slumber with a jostle. You were disoriented as you took a look at your surroundings.

“Heyy… This isn’t my place! Where ‘m I?” you mumbled, words slurred from exhaustion and drunkenness. Levi pulled you out of the passenger’s seat, quickly looping his arm around your shoulders. 

“We’re at my apartment complex. You can sleep in my bed for the night. Your place is too far and you’re too drunk.” You blew a half-assed raspberry. Levi grimaced at your crude behavior. He definitely preferred slightly-tipsy-you to super-drunk-you.

“‘M not even that drunk! Jus’ a little bit,” you squinted and showed Levi with your fingers how drunk you thought you were, “but I’m all good! Don’ worry ‘bout me. I just wanna forget about my dad today.” 

Well. That was a little bit of a bombshell that drunk-you just dropped on Levi. Your dad? What had  _ he _ done? Levi decided not to say anything more until he got you safely up to the apartment which took a little bit of work considering you were leaning your full weight on him. He managed, though, and soon you were lounging on Levi’s pristine couch in his equally as pristine apartment, crying your eyes out. 

Levi had left for the bathroom for two minutes and came back to you in tears, sobbing into your hands. He stiffened. What had happened? 

He walked quickly to your side, sat beside you, and gingerly touched your arm, jerking you from your hunched position. 

“Uh, you okay?”  _ What a dumb question.  _ “Do you… want to talk about it? Or something?” Levi cringed at his own words and his inability to be particularly comforting, especially to someone who was drunk. Normally if his customers were wasted and sobbing at his counter he would just listen to them speak for however long they needed to rant for and that would be all, but this was  _ you. You  _ were not some random drunk at his bar. 

You caught him off guard by falling head-first into his lap, curling up into yourself as you continued to let tears stream down your face. 

“No… Not now. Wanna lay here for a bit,” you choked out. Levi sat still, rigid, as you rolled your head in his lap. His arms were in the air, unsure of where to place themselves. 

You glanced up at him, watery eyes blinking slowly. “Pet my hair? I like when people do that…” 

Levi was slightly taken aback by the boldness of your statement/question. His heart thumped loudly in his chest.  _ What the fuck? _

He was not the type to show physical affection. But here you were; head in his lap, vulnerable, upset. This was not the time for whatever his heart was doing to him. So, he lowered his hand towards your hair and experimentally ran his fingers through it, earning a hum from you. 

Levi let out a shaky breath he didn’t know he was holding in. This felt strangely intimate and definitely foreign. But all he could think about was the way you started to relax under his touch and the way that your sniffles became quieter and less frequent. This was good. He kept on with his motions. 

You sat there in this position for nearly an hour, quickly sobering up as Levi’s gentle, mindless movements never ceased. He read through a book as you alternated between light sleep and your thoughts, waiting for you to be ready and sober enough to move. You shifted in your spot at long last. You had made up your mind. It was time to talk.

Still slightly drunk, you rolled your body to face yourself up, staring at Levi’s face. He retracted his hand, giving you leverage to sit up next to him. As much as he enjoyed the warmth you had provided his lap, it would probably be more beneficial to hear you out face to face. 

“I… I feel like I should tell you what happened today. Also, ‘m sorry. For the inconvenience. Or whatever. I feel bad for crashing here because of my stupid drunk feelings,” you murmured, looking at your hands resting idly on your thighs. 

He shook his head. “I’m not heartless, y’know. I wouldn’t just up and leave you alone when you’re all fucked up like this.”  _ I care about you,  _ he thought. He chose not to say it aloud. 

You tightened your hands into fists. “Thank you anyway. You do so much for me.”

Levi swallowed. Why the hell was he feeling so breathless? 

“Um, so, I was drinking to forget something tonight. My dad. Something happened four years ago today that I, uh, haven’t told too many people about.” You paused, peeking up at Levi from under your lashes. He raised his eyebrows, coaxing you to continue. “Yeah. When I was 17, my dad got involved in some shady business. Business in what, I don’t really know. But what I do know is one day I came home from school to find him gone. And he never came back.” 

Levi noticed your hands clenched, shaking slightly as you dug your nails into your palms. He instinctively tapped them, pulling your fingers out of their positions so as to not have you break the skin. He waited patiently for you to continue.

“Thanks. So, uh, anyway, there was no news pickup of the situation or anything, so I honestly have no idea what happened to him. He could be dead, for all I know. Or he could have left the country or some shit. All I know is that he abandoned his daughter and wife when we needed him most, and instead,” you whimpered, blinking back the glassiness in your eyes, “sold his life away to some fucking illegal business.” Tears slipped from your eyes yet again and you tried to bite back your sobs.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to dump all this on you. ‘M sorry.” Levi stared at you, sympathy clouding his mind as his fingers twitched with a need to give you some kind of support. He couldn’t put his thoughts into words, so he decided to wrap an arm around you and pull you into his side. His motion startled both you and himself, and he heaved a sigh. 

“Shut up, brat. Don’t cry so much. You’ll get dehydrated.” He regretted his words instantly, reasoning with himself that that was just about the worst thing he could have said to you until you huffed a light laugh. 

“God, Levi. Is that your attempt at comfort? And you wonder why you don’t have many friends.” You kept laughing, watery giggles leaving your lips as they replaced your previous tears. Levi’s lips turned up a slight bit. While he didn’t know what to say, he was glad to have cheered you up with his bluntness. 

“Sorry about your dad. I’ve met people like that in my life too. People that sell their souls to these underground businesses that they shouldn’t have anything to do with. It’s damn sad, really. Not something you can easily get out of.” You looked at him. His eyes were glazed over and his grim expression remained on his face. So this was something you had in common, then. You wondered how it affected him. 

Levi checked the time on the clock on his wall. Nearly half-past three. It was getting late and he didn’t want you to be exhausted in the morning, so he stood up gingerly and offered you a hand. Pulling you up, he mentioned the time. 

“Here. I’ll show you my room. You can sleep in my bed and I’ll take the couch,” he said, dragging you behind him. Once he got you situated with an old t-shirt and some boxer shorts, (which he definitely did not think looked incredibly nice on you) and a glass of water, he turned towards the front of the room to turn off the lights. He was startled, however, with the tug that you gave his wrist. 

He looked over his shoulder to see you standing shyly near the door. “Uh, I’m sorry if this is weird or anything but… is it okay if you just, like, lay with me for a bit? Maybe? Normally Cheshire sleeps with me on this day so I can feel a little better, but you don’t have to do that you can just lay--” Levi didn’t let you finish speaking before heading towards his bed to sit. You hadn’t noticed, but he had already changed into sleeping clothes. Probably during the time you spent in the bathroom wallowing in your own self-pity and mustering up the courage to ask him to sleep with you. He patted the spot next to him and he got under the covers. 

“C’mere. Sure I’ll lay with you. As long as you stop stuttering like an idiot, okay?” You smiled graciously, very much used to his sharp tongue. You crawled into the bed cautiously, laying next to Levi in the same position he was in-- staring straight up, arms behind his head. You lay in silence for a bit, comfortable in each other’s presence. Levi spared a side-eyed glance at you, taking in the way your tired eyes blinked back sleep and the way your chest rose and fell in rhythm under his shirt. He really couldn’t look away. His heart stuttered.

Levi hadn’t noticed it until now, really, but it clicked to him that he had feelings for you. And he knew that it would be worthless of him to deny it. He was smarter than that. 

At first, he chalked it up to protective instinct after what he had been involved with the first day meeting you, but after three weeks, he knew he was just denying himself. He liked you. The easy-to-tease defensiveness that you always pitted against his sarcasm, your witty remarks, your easy-going nature; he was hooked. 

He broke himself out of his trance, noticing you looking back at him. You scooted forward, a bold move, tucking yourself next to his side. He softened, lowering an arm to rest under your head as your head pushed towards his chest. 

“I feel like I keep saying this to you, all the time, but seriously. Thank you. For always being here for me. Even if we haven’t been friends for too long. Know that if you ever need to talk about something difficult in your life you can always turn to me, too,” you whispered into his shirt. He exhaled through his nose, relaxing into a state of half-sleep. 

“I’d like to know more about you, Levi. I’ll be here to listen when you feel like opening up. If you trust me to…” Levi heard you trail off, clearly falling asleep yourself. His eyes rested closed, taking in a few breaths before he succumbed to slumber. 

_ Give me some time. I’ll tell you what you don’t want to hear eventually.  _


	6. A Blast from the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the main conflict commences! This is the second to last chapter in part 1, with the next being a nice wrap-up. Two more parts afterward! Hope you all enjoy :)

You awoke, curling in on yourself before stretching out on a weirdly large and comfortable bed.  _ Where am I?  _

One look at the draping slate-gray curtains and pristinely cleaned windows told you that you were not at home. You were suddenly hit with both the realization that this was Levi’s apartment that you had crashed in and also that you had a splitting headache adjacent to the crashing. You didn’t have it in you to scold past-you for your awful drink intake, though. Thankfully, the anger and sadness had been doused in blue curacao and had washed away with your tears the night before. The numbness in your core had set in, leaving you feeling a little empty rather than miserable. It was manageable, though. Your body has gone through this routine for years now. 

You suddenly took notice of the empty space beside you where Levi had laid with you the night before. You didn’t quite feel like getting up yet to greet him, still feeling the effects of foolish alcohol consumption hitting you like a freight train in every corner of your skull. You groaned, rather loudly, which signaled a knock at the door from whom you could only guess was Levi. 

“You doing okay there? You look like shit,” said the bartender as he walked in. He carried a bottle of water and a plate with a scone(?) on it, along with a container of aspirin. 

You sat up, wincing as a sharp pain crossed your eyelids. “Thank you for stating the obvious, Levi Ackerman. And if by ‘doing okay’ you mean having my head feel like it’s being pounded into ground beef by a large mallet, then yes. I am doing superbly.” 

He exhaled through his nose-- his weird way of laughing-- and walked up to the bed, handing you the numerous items he had with him. You took them in gratitude, forcing down the scone and washing it down with the water so as to not get sick from nausea your headache was causing and to not take a painkiller on an empty stomach. Levi watched as you swallowed the pill eagerly, falling back on the bed and closing your eyes. He took a standing spot by your side, swatting your arm.

“Ey. This is my bed, y’know. I can’t let you stay forever.” You groaned again, shoving a pillow on top of your face. He grabbed it from your death grip with ease. 

“I feel like gaaarbageee Levi. Show some remorse. You were so nice to me last night.” You didn’t know why you were acting so bratty to your crush. Did you think this would get him to like you back? Probably not. But it was still fun to tease him with how much he did to you.

“Yeah? Don’t get used to it. My ‘kindness’ is doled out to crying people and customers that I want good tips from. And crying people are on thin ice.” He walked out, leaving you to get changed. Before he left, he asked you one more thing:

“Hey, kid. I’m sure that scone wasn’t enough. I’ll take you to get some breakfast on the way back. Good with that?” You nodded earnestly, appreciating the gesture. 

Levi let you lie around in the bed for about ten minutes more so the headache could bypass, eventually making you get up, get dressed, and head to breakfast. 

It was a short drive to a small yet pleasant cafe. You definitely weren’t aware of how many nice establishments were in Eldia City, considering you basically only went out for cheap chicken every week to spare your wallet. You grabbed a table in the back-- a little booth with a rustic feel-- while Levi went up to the counter to take your orders. You had been pretty hungry after the pain had subsided, so a large plate of waffles and a fresh juice would do you good. 

You examined the interior while you waited for Levi’s return, taking in the white brick walls and the hanging lamps and vines strung along them. There were only a couple of people there for breakfast, considering how late you woke up-- nearly twelve, which you apologized to Levi about. 

You felt eyes on you. It was one of those instinct feelings that you really couldn’t shake, and you knew it wasn’t Levi as he was already on his way back holding a teacup and a cup of juice. You mumbled a quiet ‘thank you’ as he sat, and you noticed he was also glancing warily behind him. 

“Is it just me or does it feel like you’re being looked at or something?” you joked, managing to make yourself sound the furthest thing from joking. He pursed his lips, leaving your question unanswered and your senses heightened uncomfortably. 

Levi sipped his tea, holding his cup in that way that you affectionately called quirky. “This tea is pretty decent. Wonder what blend…” he trailed off, changing the subject. You decided that was best, and went along with his new topic of conversation. 

“Can I have a sip?”

“No chance.”

You pouted at him, opting to drink your own juice instead.  _ Germaphobe. _

A plate was put in front of you holding a stack of waffles before you could continue your sparse conversation, and your mouth watered in want. They were delicious, and you were almost done before you were hit with the urge to pee. Excusing yourself to go to the bathroom, you brushed past a tall man wearing a hat accidentally, almost tipping over his coffee. 

“Sorry.”

“All good, doll.” You walked away a little quicker, slightly grossed out by the nickname. You stepped into the bathroom right as the man caught sight of his target: the back of Levi’s head, sitting at your table.

Levi took another sip of his tea, finishing off the now-lukewarm drink. He felt eyes on him once again. He bristled as he heard footsteps walking agonizingly slow in his direction. He didn’t dare turn his head. 

The footsteps got louder.

They paused.

“Yo, Levi.” 

And Kenny was gone. 

You exited the bathroom, content and full, as you saw the man who you passed walk out the back door quickly. Levi was standing, teacup shaking in his tattooed hand. You didn’t see his face, but his posture told you everything. Something was wrong.

You jogged towards him, grabbing your coat and purse in alarm. “Levi? What’s up? Is something wrong?”

His steely eyes pierced yours with his sharp glare as he slapped down some money and pulled you out of the cafe by the wrist. His head whipped around as he exited the front door, checking for something. Once he realized that the something was not there, he dragged you towards his Mercedes, swung open the passenger door and ushered you in, sinking down in his own seat once he got in, immediately starting the car. 

You were slightly terrified now. He had never had this serious of a reaction towards anything before, not that you’ve witnessed. 

“Lev-” “I need to get you home.” His hand jerked to the stick, putting his car in motion. You flew down the highway in the vague direction of your apartment.  _ He hasn’t even gotten directions or anything. What’s going on? _

The bartender handed you his unlocked phone suddenly, eyes not leaving the road. “Here. Put in your address and also find Erwin’s contact. I need to call him.” 

You did as he said. Erwin’s caller ID popped up on the car’s screen as Levi waited with bated breath for his friend to answer. He did on the second ring.

“Levi? You never call. What-” “Kenny’s here.” There was a pause. 

“...You’re sure?” 

Levi growled, raking a hand through his neat undercut.  “Yes, I’m fucking sure. Only he would come up to me in public just to say his stupid ‘Yo, Levi’ and make his grand departure.” Erwin heaved a sigh on the other end, and you glanced at Levi. He did not look back. You guessed he didn’t much care for your listening to the conversation if you had absolutely no clue what it was about.

“I can’t believe he found you. Here of all places. What kind of sources does that man have?” You were about to ask Levi what the hell was going on but he cut you off. 

“I’m coming over. Tell four-eyes to quick macking with her girlfriend and to come too. We need to discuss a course of action here.” 

“How long will you be?” Erwin asked. Levi finally looked at you, who stared back incredulously. 

“I need to drop off (Y/N). I’ll be over in half an hour. Make me a Whiskey Sour while you’re at it,” he replied. 

Erwin let out a laugh. “She heard? Be careful, Levi. Looks like you’ll have a bit of explaining to do.” 

“Shut the fuck up, Eyebrows. See you in thirty.” And with that, he pressed the ‘end call’ button sharply, settling back into his seat with not another word to you.

You waited for a moment, seeing if he would actually say anything about the situation in the last five minutes you had in the car with him, yet he made no motion to speak. 

“Right. So… what was that all about?” you finally asked, raising an eyebrow at the exasperated man beside you. He scrutinized you, looking back at the road.

“I don’t have time for this shit-show story right now. Long story short: someone’s after me-- maybe more than just some _ one--  _ and I’ve got to get him off my tail. Let’s just say my life hasn’t been pretty.” Well, that gave you just about no answers and filled you with an exhausting new set of questions. Levi noticed your blanched look and confusion and sighed, eyes softening. 

“Look. I’ll tell you more another time. I’ve got business.” He sounded strained, so you decided not to push it. It hurt you to see him like this. You wanted his business to be your business, but you understood he needed his space. Boundaries should be respected, no matter how much you liked him. 

The rest of the drive was quiet and slightly tense, unspoken thoughts swarming both of your heads. Levi dropped you outside of your complex silently. He gave you a nod as you exited the car, and just as you were about to close the door he spoke.

“Uh, text or call me if you, y’know, need anything. After yesterday.” Your grip tightened on your purse, warmth creeping to your face. 

“Mhm. Thanks. I think I’m alright now. Good luck with your… business…” You eased the door closed and stifled the smile clawing at your lips as his gaze lingered on you before driving away. 

God. You desperately needed to smoke. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You found yourself on the immensely comfortable bean bag chair in Connie, Sasha, and Jean’s place a few hours later, inhaling deeply from a joint rolled by the bald kid himself. Stupid Eren had broken his bong (dropped it clean on the ground outside of his complex) so you had to work with the limited materials. 

You felt fuzzy as the effects of weed fought themselves into your brain, leaving you comfortably sinking deeper into the softness of the beanbag. You were surrounded by boys-- Jean and Connie, of course, along with Eren and Armin-- as you willed yourself to relax and forget about the day’s strange events and the night befores’ embarrassing ones. You sort of paid attention as Eren, Jean, and Connie rambled on about their shared hatred of Professor Shadis again, poor Armin unable to understand the conversation as the history major didn’t have classes with the others boys, and you decidedly made the decision to ask their important opinion on the matter at the hand. The matter being:

“What d’you guys think of Levi?... And me. Like, together, and stuff.” 

The group of four whipped their heads around at your interruption, sets of red and lidded eyes staring you down. You knew for sure that you wouldn’t get any kind of helpful answers from Connie and Jean who were absolutely hopeless when high, but Eren and Armin (the seasoned stoners) could maybe give you some advice with their actually clear heads. Or maybe this was stupid and you should have just asked your female friends. 

You flipped Connie off as he muttered a ‘where the hell did  _ that  _ come from’ and instead turned your attention to the other duo who were taking hits from Armin’s bowl. 

“Armin? Eren?” Eren averted his gaze. Armin giggled nervously.  _ Nice reaction. _

“No offense, but how do you like that guy? He’s an asshole, from what I’ve seen. And, like, you’ve known him for, what, a month? And somehow you know nothing about his life. What’s got you so hooked, lined, and sinkered?” You stared at Eren, baffled, both at his blunt criticism of your crush and also at the fact that he said ‘hooked, lined and sinkered,’ which both Connie and Jean found incredibly amusing and were rolling with laughter at. 

“God, Jaeger. You don’t have to be so mean about it. And he’s had a hard life! He’ll tell me about it when he wants to. But do you think I have a chance here?” 

Armin patted your shoulder, head lazily falling to the side as he leaned against the couch. “I’d say you do. From what I remember, he really only paid attention to you the entire time at the Chicken Shack unless we were interrogating him. It’s obvious you like him. He’s all you ever talk about when you’re with us at this point.” You glared at him. He put his hands up in a surrendered stance. “Just being honest. But from what I’m gathering here, I’d say gauge his reactions towards you over the next few days and ask him out if you feel it’s right.” 

You gave your blonde friend a warm smile, pleased by his advice. Of course Armin would be the only one to tell you anything nice, what with the rest of these morons sharing one brain cell amongst the three of them.

Jean handed you the roach that he and Connie were dwindling and you sucked in another inhale. The cloudiness returned to your head as you exhaled, putting it out in the ashtray on the coffee table. 

Your name left Jean’s lips as you looked over at him, eyes slightly lidded and unfocused. “Why don’t you-- say-- sculpt him for your project? Don’t you have that feature study assignment for Professor Rall due soon? You keep complaining about how you can’t find a person to pose for you. Who knows, maybe Levi’s a sucker for that shit.” 

You scoffed, pushing away the idea out of your head. “There’s no  _ way  _ he’ll agree to sit fucking still for hours while I sculpt his bust. I’m not asking. Even if it means I get to stare at his tattoos.”

_ Even if it means I get to stare at his tattoos. _

“... And his naked chest.”

_ And his naked chest. _

“... And… talk to him… alone…”

_ And talk to him alone. _

“FUCK YOU, JEAN. I’m texting him. No. I’m calling him. Gimme my phone.” Your mind was too muddled with your high to regret your actions-- and your friends were just as high and unable to stop you considering their blank heads were thinking that this was the best idea in the world-- so as soon as Jean tossed your phone to you (missing horribly), you dialed Levi’s number and put him on speaker.

He answered after a few rings with a gruff ‘Hello?’

“Levi. Levi, Levi, Levi. Boy do I have a question for you, my friend,” you started, glancing at your snickering friend group.

Levi didn’t answer at first, but after a good 5 seconds of silence, his voice sounded over the line. “Are you… high?”

“There is a possibility of that, yes. You’re also on speaker. My buddies say hi,” you put the phone a little lower, “say hi, buddies.” 

“Hi, buddies,” chorused the boys in unison, dissolving into a fit of drunken giggles. 

Levi didn’t seem too thrilled to have his conversation listened in on as you heard the click of his tongue. “Tch. Take me off speaker.” 

You did, struggling to press the button for a minute before finally putting the phone to your ear. “Hello there.”

“Hello. Where are you,” he questioned, but it sounded a little more like a demand. 

“I’m at Jean and Connie’s.”

“Do you need me to drive you home? Don’t fucking drive high.”

You snorted at his statement. “No  _ duh _ , Levi. I’m not stupid. I’m crashing here in Sasha’s room when she comes home.” You paused, suddenly remembering the issue from earlier in the day. “How was the business? Everything all sorted?”

“Nothing is that easy. I need to talk to you about certain things as soon as possible. You being high is hopeless for my information, though,” Levi grumbled. You were a little worried by his response, but your foggy brain didn’t let you linger on that thought for long as the horny side of it decided to take over and sputter out your request of him.    
“Alright, gotcha. Well, you’re in luck because I have my question for you. Will you let me sculpt you naked? Like, chest naked. Nowhere else naked. I’ve got an art project that needs your nice face to complete.” The silence returned on his end, and you almost hung up out of sudden regret. Your friends couldn’t hold in their laughter and started losing it, so you moved to the kitchen.

You heard Levi’s breath hitch ever so slightly. He cleared his throat. “You want to… sculpt me naked--” “-- _ Half  _ naked--” “--Half-naked.” 

You awaited his response, anxiously tapping your fingers against the marble counter. 

Finally, he spoke again. “Uh, alright. I guess you can. I’m surprised none of your shitty friends would take the bait, but if you need me to I’ll be your model.” You breathed out a sigh of relief. 

“Thank you thank you thank you. My friends are not patient people. Well, most. Armin and Marco would have been contenders but, like, they don’t have sharp features. And I wanna see your tattoos. On your chest,” left your mouth before you could stop yourself. That hitch of breath again. 

“...Right. Those. Yes. Well--” “Okay! Gotta go bye!” you sputtered, hanging up the phone before he could finish his sentence. Your face was painted completely red, heart pounding with the thirsty statement Levi had to hear.  _ Oh, God. _

You made your way back to the living room, still red, still slightly shaking. The boys pretended as though they didn’t hear a word that was said but they did a bad job of it, Connie letting out an unintentional snort. 

You sighed. “Okay. I know you all heard that. Shut the fuck up.” And for the rest of the night, until Sasha arrived, they teased you with your obsession with Levi’s ‘hot bod.’

Before you went to sleep that night, you texted Levi the details of your assignment and that you would be needing him on Tuesday-- your biweekly time at the studio-- at ten. That gave you two days to forget about your embarrassing conversation with him today. He didn’t answer, considering it was 11 and he was on his shift. You went to bed thinking only about the way he would be posing for you for hours, chest exposed, tattoos on display.

Goddamn. You were going to die on Tuesday.


	7. Curiosity Never Tasted so Sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of part 1!! From what I've mapped out, there will be three parts to the story, each approximately 5-7 chapters. This was probably my favorite chapter to write :))) (some fluffy stuff, sexual tension, y'know. The whole deal.) Anyways, enjoy!

It was close to ten at night when you and Levi approached the studio. There was a bit of tension left over from the uncomfortable call the other day-- and some coming from the situation the two of you were going into now-- but you were sure that some alcohol and music would loosen the two of you up. 

Levi felt the tension too. This night would be a lot more intimate than anything he had ever done before. Sure, being a bartender was a pretty intimate job, but getting sculpted? That was another level.

You silently made your way to the large room, settling down your stuff on a seat in front of a large table next to a potter’s wheel. You brandished your materials: a large block of clay, aluminum wire already formed into sort of a figure, and various knives and modeling tools. There were already buckets of slip on the shelves at the back of the studio, so you made sure to grab one of those as well.

As you set up, Levi glanced around the space, taking in the vast ceiling, paint-splattered floor, and wide windows. With his current situation, he decided to cover these windows with the makeshift curtains that lay open alongside them. He was uncharacteristically nervous. He hadn’t really shown many people his body tattoos before unless they were random women during his occasional one-night stands (which he didn’t count because he always kept the light off and never caught feelings), yet here he was. On his way to being half-naked in front of the girl that he liked. You had said that you were only making a bust, which meant that his top half would be the only thing exposed. 

“Levi! There’s a little kitchenette outside the studio next to the bathroom. There’s some wine in there, I’m pretty sure, if you want to drink some,” you yelled to him from the kiln room. He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Drinking definitely helped him loosen up. 

Opening the cabinets of the quaint kitchenette, he brandished two wine glasses and a bottle of Pinot Noir which-- while nice-- was not his favorite red, but he could work with it. He was glad to see it was unopened, meaning no bratty college kids had used it prior. He opened the bottle, pouring a sizable amount in both glasses with a bit more for him before placing the Pinot Noir horizontally in the small fridge that was also present. 

Walking back, Levi saw that you were already set up with materials and had dragged out a stool for him to sit on in the middle of the room. It was too bad that he wouldn’t get to sit on the comfortable-looking velvet couch near the windows, but he was used to standing for close to seven hours at a time so it wouldn’t be too awful. 

You were currently setting up a speaker next to you on the floor, and looked over when you heard the footsteps of your friend coming near. Looking at his hands, you grinned at the sight of red wine, glad that the both of you happened to be red people and not white. 

“I see you located my stash of Pinot Noir. I brought it here last Thursday. Nice to know that nobody found it before I could get a taste.” You took the glass gratefully, sipping thoughtfully as the warmth of the wine slipped down your throat. You watched Levi out of the corner of your eye as he swirled the liquid in his glass, sniffing it briefly before sipping.  _ Of course he would. Bartender. _

Once you got your music situated-- a jazz mix, not only Nina Simone who you had found yourself listening to almost daily because of Levi-- and station set up, you looked expectantly towards Levi who took a seat on the stool, waiting for instruction. 

“My first order of business is your head and face, so you don’t need to, aha, take anything off yet,” you said, laughing nervously. He gave you no response other than a hum. “I’ll be placing basic feature points on your head shape from this far off just to get a sense of the shapes, like eye sockets and your nose bridge and stuff like that so I can place the head on the bust which I’ll do next. Your detailed facial features will go last, along with the definition of muscles and such.” 

Levi’s head swam with admiration over the way you spoke so intelligently of the art you created. He wished to be as passionate about something as you were about your major. He turned his head the way you told him to, keeping it as still as possible as you worked in silence for a little while. It was a comfortable silence, both of you now slightly relaxed after a bit of wine. Comparatively better than the beginning of the night in which the awkwardness from Sunday still prevailed in the air. 

Levi was broken from his thoughts as you started to speak some twenty minutes later. “Hey. don’t turn your head, but can I finally know about your tattoos? I see something peeking out behind your neck.” 

The bartender was slightly hesitant, but he knew now was better a time as any to finally let you know what was going on in his life. And what had happened to him. Because now you happened to be involved. 

Levi rubbed the back of his neck, looking over at you as best he could without turning. “Uh, these… these are honestly nothing special.” He ran his fingers over the two ruby red roses positioned just below the end of his undercut. “I got them a few years back because, honestly, I just thought they looked nice.” 

You hummed, focused on your sculpture again as you dug eye sockets into the shaped head. Levi had deep-set eyes. They were very intense, but also extremely captivating. His prominent brow bone would as well be interesting to mold. You glanced up again, catching his gaze in your direction. The eye contact made both of you avert your eyes and caused your face to heat again. You pondered your next approach.

The speaker played the mellow voice of Ella Fitzgerald as you continued to sip your wine, content with how it settled in your system and made your head feel light. Seeing as you were still too far from Levi, too out of reach to really  _ talk _ , you decided to finish the broad detailing quietly. Another half-hour passed, eye sockets, nose, brow bone, and mouth shape now carved meticulously into the drying clay. It was about time for Levi to shed his shirt. 

“Levi? I’m done with the head shape. Don’t move from your spot, but you’re gonna have to take your shirt off now. I’ll move a little closer so I can get the shape of the muscles right.” He nodded, unbuttoning the collared shirt he wore. You anticipated his movements, watching his nimble fingers as they got lower and lower. As much as you were embarrassed to admit it, you were kind of eager to see what he hid under his smart attire. 

And  _ boy.  _

Levi  _ was  _ a sight for sore eyes.

Your eyes traced his muscular figure, from his protruding collarbones to down his chest, over his pronounced biceps and tattooed arms, falling to his ribcage speckled with small scars and black inked writing. You were falling and falling and falling under his spell with how much your attraction clouded your head, appreciating every artful crevice that was placed on his Godly torso. He was angelic, really. You could hardly breathe as you moved your workbench and stool forward, placing yourself just a couple of feet away from Levi. The sight in front of you would be imprinted in your head forever.

“Wow… I didn’t know you had so many of these…” you breathed out, continuing to admire Levi’s inked body. 

“What, tattoos? Yeah, I’ve been getting them done since I was in high school.” Levi moved his arms, showing the various symbols and writing to you. “Ask about whatever.” 

Jackpot. 

You wanted to know everything.

You glanced over his arms, focus landing first on the large demon-creature on his bicep. It was surrounded by cherry blossoms and a dragon, matching symmetrically the same mask on his right arm. You picked up more clay, ready to begin sculpting again as you berated him with your questions.

“The demon thing. What’s that one about?” 

“These are Japanese warding masks. They’re called Tengu. People wear them as masks at Japanese festivals, and they’re also good luck charms. They ward off bad spirits.” He brought forward his second arm. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed yet, but the one on this arm is slightly different. It’s an Oni, which is a demon. They also act as a repellent of bad spirits.” 

Your eyes twinkled in delight, scanning the masks once again. They were inked in black, surrounded by the beautiful muted colors of sakura pinks in the blossoms and greens and reds of the dragons. 

“When did you get these?”

“Four years ago. They’re some of my favorites.” 

You sculpted his deltoids quickly, having your focus now pulled to his chest. As you applied slip, you learned about his Kanji tattoo spelling out ‘healing’ that lay between and slightly below his pecs, along with the message printed on his ribs on the right side, which said ‘We shall heal our wounds, collect our dead and continue fighting.’ You could not stop looking back and forth between them, gaze never faltering. Especially never faltering from where the scar he didn’t tell you about was. This one you were curious about. 

“Will you tell me about the scar? The one you mentioned but didn’t elaborate on that one time.” Levi saw where you were looking and let out a sharp sigh. 

“Yeah. I’ll tell you. I guess it’s about time for my tragic fucking backstory,” Levi said. You put down the sculpting tools to focus on his voice. 

“The scar is an old gang marking.” He paused before moving on, trying to gauge your reaction. Your expression did not change. He resumed. “One that I used to be part of. I was a high school dropout, believe it or not, because supporting myself alone after my mother’s death was getting to be a little too hard on me. And don’t give me that hurt puppy look,” you didn’t dare, “like everyone always does when I say so. It was a long time ago and I’m numb to it now.” He took another sip of wine; a long one.

“When I dropped out, I lived on the streets for a while which hardened me, I’d say, considering it was a shit neighborhood. When I was seventeen I was taken in by this guy, Kenny. He ran a gang; he did a lot of work for a lot of bad people. Still does. I was with them for nearly six years before I got the hell out. I fled the city; wanted to start anew. Went here. Erwin found me and saved my goddamn life. I lasered this tattoo,” he paused again, making sure your attention was zeroed in on his words, “knowing I would never have to deal with Kenny again. It’s been four years since I saw him. He was also the man we ran into a few days back.” 

Your eyes widened significantly. He had been found. What did this mean?

“Wha-- what does this mean?” 

Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s definitely not anything good. Kenny either wants to coerce me back into his band of pigs or kill me. Either-or would probably work for him, depending on the situation.” He side-eyed you. “It should be obvious which one I would rather have happen.” 

_ Yeah. Death. _

He gave you a minute to process his information. You knew he was a mysterious guy, but never did you imagine him to be an ex-gang member. 

“So, uh, you’re saying that the weird ‘being watched’ feeling at the cafe the other day was, like, actually us being watched? By Kenny? Is that why you-- why you got all freaked out?” 

He nodded solemnly, expression stony. “Yeah. Yeah, that was him. He knows who you are now. You’ve gotten involved. It’s my fault for not being careful enough.”

“Shit, Levi, how could you have known? It’s not your fault for this guy’s sudden appearance in your life after four years. If I have to be involved then so be it.” You offered Levi a shaky smile-- the best thing you could muster up as fake courage.

The sculpting could wait for another day.

You downed the rest of your wine, walking slowly over to the velvet couch and patting the spot next to you. Levi hesitantly made his way over, sans shirt, and took a seat in the spot beside you. You turned to face him.

“What do you think you’re gonna do?” 

He stared straight back at you, gaze unwavering. Despite the seriousness of the conversation, you couldn’t help but blush at his intensity. “We’re going to have to talk to Erwin and Hange. They’re the only ones who know my business. The only people I trust, really. I hope I can trust you with this, too.” You nodded. He paused.

“I swear on my life that I won’t let anything happen to you. Kenny will not have his way.”

You could've sworn you felt your entire resolve leave your body as soon as those words left Levi’s lips. The air was suffocating. The tension was back. 

“Lev-” “Ask about more. Tattoos,” he interrupted, voice barely above a whisper. You reluctantly ripped your eyes from his, moving instead to his forearms. A set of roman numerals were pressed into his inner elbows on both arms, followed by a set of armbands on his wrists; two thicker ones on his left and three thin ones on the right. You reached out a tentative hand, fingers moving to just barely brush the three lines above his right hand. 

“These?”

He turned his wrists. “The numerals and the three lines are connected. In high school, when I still went, I only had two friends. Isabel and Farlan. They kept me on my feet, and they were the only people I cared about. After I joined the gang, one of Kenny’s goons killed them. Didn’t want them interfering with our business. The dates they died are on my inner elbows.” 

You traced your fingers upwards, outlining the numerals that were delicately inked in thin black lettering. Levi continued, “The slim bands are for them, too. And my mother. In loving memory.”

“Then what about the thick bands?”

“I got the first one the first-ever time I beat Kenny in a fight. The second one I got after I got my freedom from the gang. They’re there for every time I’ve beaten Kenny. There only being two says something.”

Jesus. You didn’t know this man’s life could get even worse, and yet everything he said just contradicted you further. The strength he held was unbelievable; it was like the weight he carried on his shoulders was the sky and he was the Titan Atlas.

“I’m-- I’m so sorry. I can’t--” “Don’t. I can’t stand pity.” Levi stared at you, reserve building up behind his eyes again. You grasped his wrist.

“This isn’t pity. I just can’t imagine how much of this you’ve had to keep under wraps for so long without an outlet. I’m just glad you trust me enough to tell me this, even if it is partially out of obligation. You know, for my safety or whatever,” you said, lips quirking upward in a broken grin. His head swiveled, eyes flitting downward and catching the embrace of your hand over his wrist. He rested his opposing hand on top of yours. 

“Yeah, well, I trust you because I care about you. And you trusted me with your privacy. I’d like to think we’re on the same page.” His head remained downcast, eyes now on yours from under his lashes. 

_ His stare… I’m intoxicated… And it’s not the wine…  _

“Y-yeah. On the same page. I hope so too…” you trailed off, meeting his look apprehensively. 

It was just then that you noticed how nice he smelled. Rosewood and cardamom. Woody. Sharp. You felt dizzy just breathing him in so close. 

You realized how close you were, too. Knees touching, hands folded neatly together over his thigh. You didn’t dare look at him in fear that you would get lost in his expression and never climb your way back out.

Nina Simon’s sinewy voice thrummed over the speaker. “Lilac Wine.” Always present at perfect moments. You finally looked up.

“Levi?”

“Yeah.”

“Are we… on the same page?”

“I think so.”

“Can I kiss you?”

“You should.” And your lips were on his in a second, molding like clay on clay, all warm and nice. 

Levi moved his hand from yours, reaching up to cup your face lightly. He tilted his head, pressing harder into your mouth. You kept pushing each other, eager as all hell to taste every millimeter of the other’s lips. He tasted like wine. Obviously. You probably did as well.

Levi’s tongue smoothed over your bottom lip, biting it lightly to make his intentions clear. He licked into your mouth once you opened it for him, urging a soft noise from the back of your throat once the cold metal of his tongue piercing clashed against your teeth. The air felt warm and heady, closing in around the two of you desperate to get closer. And so you did. You tapped Levi’s thigh in between deep kisses, shifting to climb into his lap. He let you, wrapping his other arm securely around your waist and yours made their way into his soft raven hair. The hand on your face stroked your cheek and smoothed a piece of stray hair out of your face and behind your ear. You parted briefly, both for air and to say something.

“I-if I’m assuming correctly here, you like me too, right?” you asked dumbly. Levi pressed an open-mouthed kiss right below your right ear, causing a shiver to rake your body. 

“Hah. No shit.” 

He maneuvered his kisses down your jaw, down your neck, and over your collarbone, pausing only to press a little harder and suck bruises into your skin where he thought would look nice and pretty. You let out a shaky whimper as he did so, running your nails over his scalp. He groaned into your collarbone, appreciating the gesture. 

Every trace of his fingertips along your cheeks left bursts of fire in their wake, burning you, scalding you, making you crave more of his touch. He let his hands graze under your shirt just slightly, heating and burning and scalding your skin. You let his mouth find yours again, hungry and passionate, kiss after searing kiss bringing you both into a near-trance as you tilted your heads this way and that. 

It was getting suggestive very quickly, and as much as you  _ yearned  _ for him, it was too early. You pushed back a little, removing your mouth from Levi’s as a string of saliva connected your bright red lips. He was an Adonis of a man, for sure: tousled hair, flushed face, bruising lips. He was panting lightly.

“You okay?” he asked earnestly, brushing hair away from your face again. You nodded, pecking his lips once more and staying there.

“Yeah. Yes. I’m good. It’s just… not to ruin the moment or anything, but now that we’re, you know, doing this stuff, what does that mean for us in the Kenny situation?” Levi, whose forehead was still resting against yours, closed his eyes, barely touching his mouth to yours. 

“My statement from earlier stands. I won’t let that rat bastard touch you, and if he does before I can get to you, feel free to punch me. He’ll probably target the both of us now.” He slotted your lips together. 

You broke away, smirking. “Does that mean I’m gonna have to stick with you pretty often, then?” 

“It does.”

Your smirk morphed into a wide smile as you lowered your head to his chest and your body on top of him. “Hmm. Doesn’t sound too bad.” He smelled like Heaven.

You felt unsteady arms fall across your form, a warm hand licking at the bare skin above your hip. The night was young. You held your breath.

You knew things would be different now, and you knew that starting tomorrow, you and Levi would have to figure some things out. You knew you would be toeing a dangerous line. But with him beneath you like this, solid and safe, you knew there could never be any other options. You were hooked.

“Not too bad at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 will be coming in a few weeks! The pining is over, now the action stuff and the relationship stuff come next ;)))

**Author's Note:**

> Sidenote: In this universe, even though this is a nightclub, it closes at 2. I know that the majority of the time clubs close at 4 but bear with me


End file.
